Turkey to adopt new strategy in war against terror

07/10/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- The government is set to draft a new strategy to fight terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the Higher Counterterrorism Board (TMYK) Cemil Cicek said on Monday (October 6th). The move followed Friday's attack by members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that killed 15 Turkish soldiers. The new measures are on the agenda for the next TMYK meeting Thursday. Cicek noted the timing of the attack, just days before parliament is expected to vote on a proposal to extend the army's authority to launch cross-border operations into northern Iraq for another year.

On Sunday, Turkey asked the United States for broader co-operation in the fight against the PKK. Ertugrul Apakan, undersecretary of the foreign ministry, met with US Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson. Turkey also called on Iraqi authorities to arrest those responsible for the PKK attack and to prevent similar incidents.

The Turkish army says it continues "punishing" air operations against PKK positions in northern Iraq and in Turkey's southeast Hakkari province. (Zaman, Milliyet, Anadolu news agency, Hurriyet, NTV, CNN Turk, Dogan news agency - 06/10/08