Rice in Turkey with Iraq and Iran in mind
Iraq-Turkey-USA, Politics, 4/25/2006

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that during her talks in Turkey, where she will be visiting, she will discuss revitalizing a trilateral mechanism involving Turkey, Iraq and the United States to deal with problems such as terrorist activity by the PKK Kurdish group.

Rice said "We want to do it in a way that does not cause greater instability in the north (of Iraq), and I think that the Turks would agree with that."

Raice was asked about the Turkish policy shift that "There are some analysts that say that for the first time since World War II that Turkey is not looking to the United States or to the EU for its political and economic cues, but it's looking more to the Middle East.  And again, you kind of see that also where they invited Hamas to visit.  How concerned are you about that trend in Turkish society and what do you hope to do about it on this trip?"

Rice said "I see Turkey as a very strong ally with a very strong orientation toward NATO and toward the European Union.  I mean, that has been -- Turkey has been very active in pursuing its European accession and Europe has been active in pursuing that as well.  It's not easy because the Turks are making a lot of changes at home.  We have to remember that it's not just the rise of an Islamic party in Turkey, but in fact this has been a process of the evolution of democracy in Turkey with a much stronger democratic core than in the past.  So there's an important evolution going inside of Turkey.  There's an important evolution going on terms of Turkey's movement toward the European Union.  It has always been a key anchor in NATO. But I think it's a very good thing that Turkey is being active in the Middle East.  As I said, we have had no stronger supporter and ally in the Broader Middle East Initiative than Turkey, which sees the importance of not allowing people to even think about a clash of civilizations but rather to see these civilizations at unified by their democratic traditions and by their democratic future. As to Turkey meeting with Hamas, we talked to the Turks.  The Turks made very clear that while they wanted to meet with Hamas, they wanted to send a very strong message to Hamas that Hamas needed to accede to the Quartet requirements and that's the message that Turkey sent."

So I think Turkey sees itself very much, and we see Turkey, as having a strong anchor in democracy, a strong anchor in European traditions, but also having a great deal to say to the future of the Middle East and to be a part of that future as well.  And I see those as completely consistent.

Rice was asked that Turkey asked a chief Iranian official who deals with the nuclear program to postpone his trip to Turkey because it was going to be just a day before you arrived.  and if the US is going to be looking from Turkey for some specific statements of support on the US policy towards Iran. And if the US is ready and willing to act against the PKK enclave in northern Iraq. Rice replied that "The principal context in which we have to deal with the PKK problem at this point is to make certain that there is a stable security situation in the north and to enlist the new Iraqi Government to work with the Turks and with the United States in dealing with the -- and the coalition in dealing with the PKK.  And that's going to be the message to the Turks."

Rice added "But we have had mechanisms that have worked from time to time.  With the absence of an Iraqi Government, it has been harder to get those trilateral mechanisms to work, and so I think we need to reinvigorate those trilateral mechanisms and we need to work with the Turks and with the coalition to do what we can to deal with the PKK problem.  But we want to do it in a way that does not cause greater instability in the North, and I think that the Turks would agree with that."

Rice said "To the question of Iran, yeah, first let me just be very clear.  This isn't U.S. policy toward Iran, all right?  This is the policy of the Security Council of the United Nations toward Iran.  There is a presidential statement which states very clearly what the Iranians have to do.  And so to the degree that we are seeking any support for this policy, it is to support the efforts of the United Nations Security Council to get Iran to turn away from the processes that it's been involved in, the activities it's been involved in, and to go back to negotiation. I am quite certain that the Turks are in support of the Security Council action that was taken and that they are sending a similar message to the Iranians.  We will see what the Iranians do at the end of the week.  So far, they've not demonstrated any desire to come into -- to come back into adherence with the international norm that has been set here and I do think that it's going to be important for the Security Council to speak to that once the 30-day deadline has passed.  But again, the United States has a policy that is coherent and consistent with the policies of our European allies and that is drawing now on the Security Council as the mechanism for trying to get compliance with IAEA efforts to bring the Iranians back into compliance."

Previous Stories:
  Kurdish claim of clashes with Iranian forces   (4/22/2006)
  US not seen as trust worthy by Turks, opposition to intervention in Iran   (3/27/2006)
  No cooperation with US and Israel against Syria: Gul   (1/13/2006)
  Turkey denies cooperation with US against Iran and Syria   (12/26/2005)

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