Sunday, 04 November 2007,
AFP
Greece called on Turkey to show "self-restraint".
Greece called on Turkey to show "self-restraint" and avoid entering Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq' in pursuit of Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels.
"We call on the neighbouring country to show self-restraint," Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis told parliament in response to a question tabled by the far-right LAOS party.
"Violence does not solve, cannot solve problems. Diplomacy must be allowed to run its course," he said.
Karamanlis is technically a family relation of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after serving as a witness at his daughter's marriage in 2004.
Greece is a traditional rival of Turkey but relations have drastically improved in recent years despite ongoing territorial disagreements.
"We condemn terrorism in all its forms, no matter where it comes from," Karamanlis said.
"Respect of territorial integrity is a basic tenet of international law, and no nation should ignore or violate international law."
Turkey has in the past accused Greece of acting as a haven for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a 23-year armed campaign for Kurdish self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday met Turkish leaders with offers of an "effective strategy" against PKK fighters based in northern Iraq in exchange for Ankara holding off on its threat of cross-border military action.
But Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Turkey wants to see action not words in dealing with the rebels.
Iraqi Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using Turkey's Kurdish separatist PKK rebel group as an excuse to invade Kurdistan region 'Iraq' to prevent the establishment of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish autonomous region in 'northern Iraq', Turkey fears this could fan separatism among its own large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey.
Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan regional government that holds sway in northern Iraq, regretted Ankara's refusal to hold direct talks on the crisis over the Turkey's separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels.
Turkey has never, and still does not, recognize the Kurdistan region government (KRG) and refuses to meet with its representatives in any official capacity. That reflects Ankara's fear that any international respect shown to the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region would only embolden Turkey's own large Kurdish minority to seek similar home-rule status.
"We call on the neighbouring country to show self-restraint," Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis told parliament in response to a question tabled by the far-right LAOS party.
"Violence does not solve, cannot solve problems. Diplomacy must be allowed to run its course," he said.
Karamanlis is technically a family relation of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after serving as a witness at his daughter's marriage in 2004.
Greece is a traditional rival of Turkey but relations have drastically improved in recent years despite ongoing territorial disagreements.
"We condemn terrorism in all its forms, no matter where it comes from," Karamanlis said.
"Respect of territorial integrity is a basic tenet of international law, and no nation should ignore or violate international law."
Turkey has in the past accused Greece of acting as a haven for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a 23-year armed campaign for Kurdish self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday met Turkish leaders with offers of an "effective strategy" against PKK fighters based in northern Iraq in exchange for Ankara holding off on its threat of cross-border military action.
But Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Turkey wants to see action not words in dealing with the rebels.
Iraqi Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using Turkey's Kurdish separatist PKK rebel group as an excuse to invade Kurdistan region 'Iraq' to prevent the establishment of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish autonomous region in 'northern Iraq', Turkey fears this could fan separatism among its own large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey.
Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan regional government that holds sway in northern Iraq, regretted Ankara's refusal to hold direct talks on the crisis over the Turkey's separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels.
Turkey has never, and still does not, recognize the Kurdistan region government (KRG) and refuses to meet with its representatives in any official capacity. That reflects Ankara's fear that any international respect shown to the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region would only embolden Turkey's own large Kurdish minority to seek similar home-rule status.
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