ANKARA, — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again insisted on war an violence in dealing with the Kurdish issue.. He also confirmed that Turkey and Iran are taking joint steps against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party).
Erdogan and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were set to meet Friday night but the meeting was postponed to Saturday.
Erdogan said Turkey’s cross-border military operations will continue as planned because Turkey’s decision on this issue is “clear.”
Erdogan told reporters after meeting with Iraqi President Celal Talebani on Friday that he expressed Turkey’s position on cross-border operation against the PKK in northern Iraq to the Iraqi president and that he didn’t question if this is a problem or not for the Iraqi side. “These [operations] will continue,” Erdogan underlined.
Erdogan, repeating the call made by President Abdullah Gul, also called on the PKK to lay down arms which he said will naturally result in halt in military operations.