Clinton, Ecevit discuss Iraq

US senior administration officials said yesterday that US President Bill Clinton and Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit discussed Iraq. The officials, speaking on background, said "Prime Minister Ecevit described the substantial losses Turkey has incurred as a result of abiding by the embargo, the U.N. embargo, on Iraq."

They added, "They agreed that we should continue to look at ways to alleviate the losses that Turkey has suffered as a result of abiding by the embargo."

Asked whether the talks covered the Kurds, the officials added that Clinton asked Ecevit about Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan's call for the PKK to withdraw from Turkey and that, "The Prime Minister described a very inconclusive picture about whether, in fact, any of these withdrawals were taking place."

They also said Clinton expressed continued US support for the Caspian oil pipeline project.