Subject: TURKEY / U-S (L-ONLY) BY AMBERIN ZAMAN/ANKARA Topic: voa From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) DATE=4/11/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-176928 TITLE=TURKEY / U-S (L-ONLY) BYLINE=AMBERIN ZAMAN DATELINE=ANKARA CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A TEAM OF TOP U-S OFFICIALS LED BY DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE STROBE TALBOTT IS HOLDING TALKS WITH TURKISH LEADERS. AS AMBERIN ZAMAN REPORTS FROM ANKARA, PART OF THE U-S DELEGATION'S MISSION IS TO PRESS TURKEY TO SET A DATE FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF ITS TROOPS IN NORTHERN IRAQ. TEXT: WESTERN DIPLOMATS SAY THE U-S GOVERNMENT WOULD IDEALLY LIKE TURKEY TO ANNOUNCE A DATE FOR A TROOP WITHDRAWAL AHEAD OF PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER'S TRIP TO WASHINGTON ON SUNDAY. TURKEY HAS COME UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE FROM ITS WESTERN ALLIES TO PULL OUT ITS ESTIMATED 35-THOUSAND TROOPS, WHO SWEPT INTO THE KURDISH-CONTROLLED ENCLAVE LAST MONTH IN PURSUIT OF REBELS OF THE SEPARATIST KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY, OR P-K-K. IRAN AND IRAQ HAVE ALSO STEPPED UP CALLS FOR TURKISH TROOPS TO LEAVE IRAQI TERRITORY AMID SPECULATION THAT TURKEY WANTS TO ESTABLISH A BUFFER ZONE THERE. TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER HAS ISSUED REPEATED ASSURANCES THAT TURKISH TROOPS ARE NOT IN FOR AN EXTENDED STAY. BUT SHE HAS ALSO STRESSED THAT TURKISH FORCES WILL NOT BE CALLED HOME UNTIL THEIR MISSION IS COMPLETED. CRITICS ACCUSE MRS. CILLER OF YIELDING TO WESTERN PRESSURE DESPITE STRONG PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE DRIVE AGAINST THE REBELS. THE ANALYSTS SAY THAT SUPPORT WILL MAKE IT ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT FOR MRS. CILLER TO ANNOUNCE A WITHDRAWAL DATE DURING MR TALBOTT'S VISIT. AFTER MEETING WITH TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER ERDAL INONU, MR. TALBOTT SAID THE U-S GOVERNMENT UNDERSTANDS TURKEY'S NEED TO DEAL FIRMLY WITH THE P-K-K, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS A VICIOUS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. MR. TALBOTT ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE UNITED STATES ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO ASSURANCES BY THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT THAT ITS MILITARY OPERATION WILL BE LIMITED IN SCOPE AND DURATION. HE DESCRIBED THE WITHDRAWAL OF THREE-THOUSAND TURKISH TROOPS FROM NORTHERN IRAQ LAST SUNDAY AS A POSITIVE FIRST STEP. TURKISH OFFICIALS SAY A FULL WITHDRAWAL CANNOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL A SECURITY ARRANGEMENT IS WORKED OUT THAT WOULD PREVENT P-K-K ATTACKS FROM BEING LAUNCHED FROM NORTHERN IRAQ IN THE FUTURE. ONE PROPOSAL IS TO REVIVE AN AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH THE MAIN IRAQI KURDISH FACTIONS IN 1992, UNDER WHICH THEY WOULD POLICE THEIR SIDE OF THE POROUS IRAQI - TURKISH BORDER IN RETURN FOR FINANCIAL AID FROM ANKARA. BOTH MASSOUD BARZANI AND HIS KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY OR K- D-P AND JALAL TALABANI AND HIS PATRIOTIC UNION OF KURDISTAN OR P-U-K HAVE EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE WITH ANKARA. BUT BEFORE THEY CAN EFFECTIVELY DO SO, ANALYSTS SAY, THEY WILL NEED TO END THEIR OWN YEAR-LONG BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF NORTHERN IRAQ. (SIGNED) NEB/AZ/SKH/GPT 11-Apr-95 11:40 AM EDT (1540 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America