Subject: CLINTON - CILLER (S) BY DAVID BORGIDA/WHITE HOUSE Topic: voa From: yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) DATE=4/19/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-177241 TITLE=CLINTON - CILLER (S) BYLINE=DAVID BORGIDA DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TANSU CILLER IS ASSURING PRESIDENT CLINTON THAT TURKISH TROOPS WILL SOON BE COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN FROM NORTHERN IRAQ, WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN FIGHTING KURDISH REBELS FOR A MONTH. SHE GAVE THE PRESIDENT NO SPECIFIC TIMETABLE FOR COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL, ARGUING THAT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO TROOPS CONTINUING TO SEARCH FOR REBELS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND CAVES OF NORTHERN IRAQ. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DAVID BORGIDA REPORTS SHE MADE HER CASE TO A SYMPATHETIC PRESIDENT CLINTON. TEXT: WITH ABOUT TEN PERCENT OF THE TURKISH TROOPS WHO TOOK PART IN THE INCURSION INTO NORTHERN IRAQ ALREADY WITHDRAWN, THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ASSURED PRESIDENT CLINTON AT A WHITE HOUSE MEETING THE OPERATION WOULD SOON BE OVER. ///CILLER ACT/// WE ARE THERE ONLY FOR A LIMITED TIME. WE HAVE GOTTEN A HOLD OF THE BASES THAT WE WANTED TO DO. THE MAJORITY OF THE JOB IS DONE AND OVER WITH. THE WITHDRAWAL WILL BE VERY SOON. ///END ACT/// U-S ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE RICHARD HOLBROOKE TOLD REPORTERS AFTER THE CILLER-CLINTON MEETING "VERY SOON" MEANT IN A MATTER OF WEEKS. THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE INCURSION AND ITS IMPACT ON CIVILIANS. BUT MR. HOLBROOKE SAYS THE KURDISH REBELS, KNOWN AS THE P-K-K, ARE A TERRORIST GROUP, AND HE SAID THE TURKISH ACTION IS NOT A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW. HE UNDERSCORED TURKEY'S STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE TO U-S NATIONAL INTERESTS. FOR HIS PART, PRESIDENT CLINTON CALLED TURKEY A VALUED AND IMPORTANT ALLY, AND SAID IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE RELATIONSHIP INTO THE FUTURE, EACH SIDE WOULD HAVE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S PROBLEMS. (SIGNED) NEB/BORG/MMK 19-Apr-95 12:53 PM EDT (1653 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America