White House Signals “Yellow Light”

After Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President George W. Bush met at the White House yesterday, they seem to have arrived at an agreement on the main issues.

Bush: PKK is "common enemy"

In a press statement, Bush called the PKK “terrorists” and said that the organisation was the “common enemy” of Turkey, Iraq and the USA.  He said that the USA would collaborate with Turkey in order to cut off PKK access to financial resources and to identify PKK camps in Iraq.

Erdogan: Operations aimed at PKK

Erdogan evaluated the meeting with Bush as useful; he promised that the parliamentary bill permitting cross-border operations was aimed at PKK forces and not at civilians.

Speaking at the National Press Club after his meeting with Bush, Erdogan said that there was complete consensus between him and Bush. He reiterated the point that a possible operation would target the PKK and not civilians, that there was no “war”.

Other officials present 

Also present at the White House meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Babacan, Minister of Defense Vecdi Gönül, Deputy Chief of General Staff General Ergin Saygun, Justice and Development Party (AKP) Vice Chair Egemen Bagis, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ertugrul Apakan, Prime Ministerial Main Advisor Ahmet Davutoglu and Turkey’s ambassador to Washington, Nabi Sensoy.

On the American side, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who is abroad, was represented by her deputy John Negroponte. Also present was the USA’s ambassador to Ankara, Ross Wilson.

When entering the White House, Erdogan and his entourage had to be taken to a different entrance because a group of around 100 people was protesting in front of the building. (EK/NZ)