U.S. Seeks to Ease Tensions With Turkey

The soldiers were released Sunday after a bustle of diplomacy.

The detentions outraged Turkey, further damaging relations between Turkey and the United States after Turkey in March snubbed a U.S. request to host some 60,000 U.S. troops for the war in Iraq.

Turkey also is deeply concerned by the Kurds’ growing influence in Iraq, a development it fears could encourage Kurdish separatists on its own soil.

Jones met for about two hours with senior Turkish diplomatic and military officials, including Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, chief of military staff, and presented preliminary information about the July 4 detention of the Turkish soldiers, a U.S. Embassy official said on condition of anonymity.

U.S. officials have said the Turks were allegedly plotting to harm Iraqi Kurdish civilian officials but have provided few details. Turkey has denied any plot.

Both sides agreed that a Turkish and U.S. military committee would meet in Ankara on Wednesday to investigate the detentions. The committee was scheduled to begin its work on Tuesday, but the meeting was rescheduled at Washington’s request, according to a written statement from the Turkish foreign minister.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Tuesday that Turkey will take steps "to establish trust again. But this harm cannot be forgotten."

"We will not let anyone hurt our pride," he said. "The one who lost in this incident is the United States."