Turkish Prime Minister warns of rising anti-Americanism in Turkey

Kurdish members of the PKK

WASHINGTON Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday after a meeting with President George W. Bush that anti-American sentiment is accelerating in Turkey because American-made weapons are being smuggled into Turkey from Iraq by rebels from the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK).

Erdogan said Bush acknowledged the point and "underlined his determination" to end use of Iraq by the PKK as a springboard for attacks into Turkey.

He said Bush told him that he has expressed concerns about PKK activities in northern Iraq to the Iraqi president and prime minister.

"It's important to resolve this issue," Erdogan said, speaking to reporters after an hour and 45-minute with Bush at the White House.

In brief remarks after their discussion Bush said, "We talked about our determined efforts to fight terror and extremism. We talked about our common efforts to bring stability to the Middle East. "

Bush made no direct reference to the PKK in his remarks. Erdogan, questioned by a reporter, said he had no objection to the omission and he pointed out that he himself seldom refers to the group by name.

"Their goal is to get us to use their name," Erdogan said, referring to the PKK. He said he came out of the meeting more hopeful about American support for curbing PKK operations in Iraq than before.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

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