Wolfowitz: Kerkuk is not the City of Kurds

Invited to the Foreign Ministry yesterday for conveying Turkey’s discomfort regarding the statement by Garner, the U.S. Ankara Ambassador Robert Pearson said that he does not know whether Garner used these words or not. Noting Garner’s remark was mentioned in the meetings with both Foreign minister Abdullah Gul and Deputy Undersecretary ambassador Ali Tuygan, Pearson stated on many occasions within the last year that the United States shared its view that all cities of Iraq solely belong to the people of Iraq.

Saying that he transmitted the appreciation of the U.S. regarding Turkish-American cooperation displayed after Powell’s quick visit, Pearson informed that in the frame of this cooperation, 4 thousand flights over Turkey have been realized in the course of the war. ‘Turkey and United States have the same point of view regarding the developments in northern Iraq,’ said Pearson as he refrained from comments about the news regarding deportation of the Turkish special team from the region.

/ Ankara / TURKEY