Topic: voa
Subject: U-S / TURKEY (L) By RON PEMSTEIN/STATE DEPARTMENT
From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>
 
DATE=3/31/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-176409
TITLE=U-S / TURKEY (L)
BYLINE=RON PEMSTEIN
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO: TURKEY HAS REPEATED ASSURANCES TO THE UNITED STATES THAT
ITS MILITARY OPERATION IN NORTHERN IRAQ AGAINST REBEL KURDS WILL
BE LIMITED. RON PEMSTEIN REPORTS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
AMERICAN OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DAMAGE THE MILITARY
ACTION IS DOING TO TURKEY'S INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION.

TEXT: THE UNITED STATES HAS RECEIVED WHAT OFFICIALS CALL
IMPORTANT ASSURANCES FROM AN ADVISER TO TURKISH PRIME MINISTER
TANSU CILLER THAT THE NEARLY TWO-WEEK OLD OPERATION IN NORTHERN
IRAQ WILL NOT LAST MONTHS.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD HOLBROOKE TOLD REPORTERS THE
INFORMATION FROM THE ADVISER EMRE GONENSAY DOES NOT SAY EXACTLY
WHEN THE TURKISH MILITARY ACTION WILL END.

                       ///HOLBROOKE ACT///

         NO SPECIFIC DATE CERTAIN HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR THE END OF
         THE OPERATION. INDEED IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE
         OPERATION WILL HAVE DIFFERENT PHASES GEOGRAPHICALLY IN
         TERMS OF OBJECTIVES. SO I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR ANSWER TO
         YOUR QUESTION AT THIS POINT BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A
         MATTER OF MONTHS.

                          ///END ACT///

THE UNITED STATES HAS CALLED FOR THE TURKISH OPERATION TO BE
LIMITED IN TIME AND SCOPE. MR. GONENSAY SAID EARLIER TO THE U-S
TURKISH ECONOMIC COMMISSION, NO EXACT TIME CAN BE GIVEN FOR
RETURNING THE TROOPS TO TURKEY BECAUSE THAT WILL SIGNAL TO
KURDISH TERRORISTS WHEN THE OPERATION WILL END.

AMERICAN OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED TURKEY IS DAMAGING ITS CHANCES
OF INTEGRATING WITH WESTERN EUROPE BY ITS MILITARY ACTION IN
NORTHERN IRAQ. GERMANY IS WARNING TURKEY ITS PLANNED CUSTOMS
UNION WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION COULD BE ENDANGERED BY THE
CONTINUED MILITARY ACTION ACROSS ITS BORDER. THAT DECISION MUST
BE RATIFIED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN OCTOBER.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY HOLBROOKE SAYS THE UNITED STATES AND ITS
EUROPEAN ALLIES AGREE ON TURKEY'S IMPORTANCE TO EUROPEAN STABLITY
AND SECURITY THOUGH THEY CLEARLY DISAGREE ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF
TURKEY'S CROSS BORDER OPERATION AGAINST THE KURDISH WORKERS
PARTY,THE P-K-K.

                       ///HOLBROOKE ACT///

         WE BELIEVE THAT THEIR EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH THE P-K-K ARE
         LEGITIMATE AND THEIR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS CRITICALLY
         IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY TO THEM, BUT ALL OF EUROPE. BECAUSE
         I CAN TELL YOU CLEARLY THAT IF THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
         OF THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF EUROPE, NO MATTER WHAT
         HISTORICAL ACCIDENTS CREATED THEM, IS CHANGED IT WILL
         LEAD TO CHAOS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

                          ///END ACT///

TURKEY'S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER ERDAL INONU WILL BE IN WASHINGTON
NEXT WEEK. U-S DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE STROBE TALBOTT, ALONG
WITH AMBSSADOR HOLBROOKE, WILL BE IN ANKARA THE FOLLOWING WEEK
AND PRIME MINISTER CILLER, HERSELF, WILL VISIT WASHINGTON IN
MID-APRIL. WHILE THESE VISITS ARE SAID TO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY
PLANNED, THE TURKISH ACTION IN IRAQ WILL REMAIN AT THE TOP OF THE
AMERICAN AGENDA WITH TURKEY. (SIGNED)

NEB/RP/GPT

31-Mar-95 3:30 PM EST (2030 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
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