Gul to Powell: Determine Kerkuk’s Status as soon as Possible

Gul said the need to define the cities status not only affects Turkmen in the region, but the rest of the country’s ethnicities as well. Gul called for more cooperation between Turkey and the US who have, Gul acknowledges, weathered difficult times in their relationship. "We need more coordination and we are ready for that", said Gul.

Gul reminded Powell that he expected the US to take concrete steps toward precautionary measures against the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), as well as providing security to the Turkish drivers working for the coalition in Iraq. Gul said: "We lost more men than the coalition force. We expect you to make greater efforts."

In return, Powell said that the US understands why the status of Kirkuk is important to Turkey and signaled his desire for greater cooperation between the two countries.