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CIA chief discusses Syria, Iraq in surprise talks in Ankara
13 March 2012, Tuesday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,
CIA Director David Petraeus has paid a surprise visit to Ankara, discussing developments in Syria and Iraq, a news report said on Tuesday.
Patraeus met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his visit, private broadcaster NTV reported. NTV also said Erdoğan and Patraeus will discuss the latest specter of sectarian strife in Iraq amid its worst political conundrum.
Iraq's Shiite-led central government had previously issued an arrest warrant for Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi -- one of the country's top Sunni politicians -- on charges of running death squads in a case that raised fears of an increase in sectarian tension after US troops withdrew from Iraq in December.
Turkey, which earlier conducted shuttle diplomacy between rival Iraqi politicians, was critical of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a chief culprit in the current political impasse.
The CIA director and Erdoğan also discussed the activities of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, where Turkish fighter jets have frequently conducted airstrikes since last summer.
The US and Turkey have been closely cooperating in intelligence sharing on PKK activities and its camps in northern Iraq.
According to the report, the Turkish prime minister and US intelligence chief also discussed the escalating violence in neighboring Syria. Turkey is scheduled to host a second meeting for the “Friends of Syria” in late March in a bid to find a political solution to the year-long violence in the country and to seek ways to establish a humanitarian aid corridor to help civilians.
Another topic officials discussed in the meeting was a standoff between Iran and the West over the Islamic republic's suspected nuclear program. Erdoğan is set to visit Tehran late in March to discuss the nuclear imbroglio and nuclear talks with major powers expected to be held in Turkey in April.
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13 March 2012, Tuesday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,
CIA Director David Petraeus has paid a surprise visit to Ankara, discussing developments in Syria and Iraq, a news report said on Tuesday.
Patraeus met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his visit, private broadcaster NTV reported. NTV also said Erdoğan and Patraeus will discuss the latest specter of sectarian strife in Iraq amid its worst political conundrum.
Iraq's Shiite-led central government had previously issued an arrest warrant for Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi -- one of the country's top Sunni politicians -- on charges of running death squads in a case that raised fears of an increase in sectarian tension after US troops withdrew from Iraq in December.
Turkey, which earlier conducted shuttle diplomacy between rival Iraqi politicians, was critical of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a chief culprit in the current political impasse.
The CIA director and Erdoğan also discussed the activities of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, where Turkish fighter jets have frequently conducted airstrikes since last summer.
The US and Turkey have been closely cooperating in intelligence sharing on PKK activities and its camps in northern Iraq.
According to the report, the Turkish prime minister and US intelligence chief also discussed the escalating violence in neighboring Syria. Turkey is scheduled to host a second meeting for the “Friends of Syria” in late March in a bid to find a political solution to the year-long violence in the country and to seek ways to establish a humanitarian aid corridor to help civilians.
Another topic officials discussed in the meeting was a standoff between Iran and the West over the Islamic republic's suspected nuclear program. Erdoğan is set to visit Tehran late in March to discuss the nuclear imbroglio and nuclear talks with major powers expected to be held in Turkey in April.
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