Washington: The United States has asked Turkey not to enter Northern Iraq, since it
may precipitate a clash with local Kurdish people with them.
"We made it clear that Turkish troops should not come to Northern Iraq (where the
Kurds do not want them and have said that if the Turks do come, the Kurds will fight
them). The US position vis-a-vis Turkey is well known and the US has been saying it
repeatedly," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters on March 24.
"The American officials are in contact with Turkish officials on a regular basis to
make certain that they understand our position and that continues," he said.
Fleischer said there have been many reports that the Turkish forces have crossed the
border, but none of them has materialised.
On the progress of the war in Iraq, Fleischer said, "The mission has only just
begun," and added "Saddam Hussein still has rather lethal pockets of resistance that
have left behind in different places. And the presence of those forces still
creating fear in the minds of Iraqi people, which is justifiable."
Replying to a question about people switching sides in Iraq, the Press Secretary
said, "There cannot be any comparison between Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Afghanistan has had a history of tribal fights, in which people would often change
sides. That is not quite the case in Iraq. We do not expect Iraqis to change sides
and become American soldiers," he added.
PTI
