Iraqi for min warns of Turkish troop build up on border
(9 Jul 2007) SHOTLIST 1. Wide of meeting 2. SOUNDBITE (English): Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi Foreign Minister: "The Turkey relations are still good actually, but recently, the recent troops build-up which is a huge build-up in our view, in our intelligence assessment, levels up to 140-thousand troops, they have been there for quite some time. We are trying to defuse the situation, to work closely with the Turkish government and we believe the best way is to revive the working group or the security working group that is made up of the United States, Iraq and Turkey to address all Turkish legitimate security concerns over the PPK (Kurdistan Workers Party), over any terrorist activities, about any incursion into their territory from our side. But the Iraqi government position, it is definitely opposed to any military incursion or any violations of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity." 3. Wide of Zebari concluding speech and walking off stage STORYLINE Iraq's Foreign Minister on Monday expressed concern over the "huge build-up" of Turkish troops at Iraq's northern border, where the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has bases. "The Turkey relations are still good actually, but recently, the recent troops build-up which is a huge build-up in our view, in our intelligence assessment, levels up to 140-thousand troops, they have been there for quite some time," said Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd from northern Iraq. Zebari said Baghdad was trying to defuse the situation, by working closely with the Turkish government. "We believe the best way is to revive the working group or the security working group that is made up of the United States, Iraq and Turkey to address all Turkish legitimate security concerns over the PPK, over any terrorist activities, about any incursion into their territory from our side," he told reporters. "But the Iraqi government position, it is definitely opposed to any military incursion or any violations of Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity," Zebari added. The Turkish military had no comment to Zebari's remarks, and it was unclear where he got the figures. If they are accurate, Turkey would have nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which the U.S. has in the country. In Washington, a Pentagon official disputed Zebari's assertion that troops were massing, saying no such movement has been picked up by US satellites gathering intelligence there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak on the record about the subject. Zebari also warned that the country could collapse if American troops leave too quickly as pressure mounts in Washington to draw down its combat forces. The White House said President George W. Bush is not considering a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq now despite an erosion of support among Republicans for his war policy. A report is due Sunday on whether the Iraqi government is meeting political, economic and security benchmarks that Bush set in January when he ordered 21,500 US combat forces to Iraq. Three prominent Republicans - Senators Richard Lugar of Indiana, George Voinovich of Ohio and Pete Domenici of New Mexico, have announced they can no longer support Bush's Iraq strategy and have called on the president to start reducing the military's role there. That drew a sharp response from Iraq's foreign minister, who warned that a speedy US military withdrawal could lead to all-out civil war, the collapse of the government and spread conflict across the Middle East. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
