U.S. President George W. Bush said Thursday that he will discuss with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in their White House meeting next week about cooperation against the Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.
"I look forward to visiting with Prime Minister Erdogan on this important subject as to how we can work together to prevent people from coming out of mountain ranges to do harm to Turkish troops," Bush said.
According to media reports, Erdogan has said that he will urge the U.S. side to take urgent steps to counter the Kurdish rebels.
Turkey's parliament approved on Oct. 17 a government motion to take a cross-border operation into northern Iraq for pursuing PKK(Kurdistan Workers' Party) militants who have kept attacking against Turkey's military targets.
Reports said Turkey has massed up to 100,000 troops, backed by tanks, artillery, warplanes and combat helicopters along the Iraqi border in preparation for a possible cross-border operation into northern Iraq where 3,000 Kurdish rebels are believed to be hiding.
The Kurdish rebels have fought more than 20 years for an independent Kurdish country in southern Turkey.
Source: Xinhua
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