Turkey and Britain Sign Partnership Agreement

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his British counterpart, Gordon Brown, met earlier this week in London, where they discussed the PKK and Turkey's EU bid.

By Ahmet Gormez for Southeast European Times

On a two-day visit to London earlier this week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The visit came at a crucial time for Turkey, which is considering a possible military incursion into Iraq.

"We cannot wait forever,'' Erdogan said Tuesday (October 23rd), during the visit.

The two prime ministers discussed the possibility that the Turkish military might enter Iraq in order to stop Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists from using bases there to attack Turkey. They also signed a strategic agreement outlining co-operation in fighting terrorism.

Britain "condemns absolutely and unequivocally'' the PKK's violence, Brown told a news conference after the talks with Erdogan.

"We have had very comprehensive talks about the major concerns we both have about what is happening in the region,'' Brown said. "The fact that 12 members of the Turkish Army have been killed and the fact that eight have been kidnapped is something that the whole world community has condemned.''

"We will work hard with the Turkish government on this difficult situation,'' Brown said. He also reiterated his country's support for Turkey's EU accession and said he hoped talks on Turkey joining the Union will "move forward" at the next EU Council summit, scheduled for December.

The agreement signed Tuesday underlines co-operation between the UK and Turkey, and calls for "more action in the fight against terrorism", including exchanges of intelligence and evidence. It also urges increased co-operation in trade, security, economy and culture.

In the document, Britain pledges to support and maintain the momentum of Turkey's EU accession talks; to help end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, to encourage others in the international community to join efforts to deepen the UK-Turkey defense relationship, and to improve co-operation in global security.

Key areas of mutual concern include counterterrorism and nonproliferation, aviation security, and fighting the drugs trade, illegal immigration and other organised crime.

However, references to Northern Cyprus as the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" and to ending the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots raised a red flag among the Greek Cypriot authorities, who issued a statement on Wednesday expressing concern. In response, British High Commissioner to Cyprus Peter Millett said that London stands firmly behind the island's unity and supports the UN's efforts to apply the July 8th agreement between the two sides.

After the visit with Brown, Erdogan made a speech at Oxford Union where he gave another warning about possible military action in northern Iraq. Erdogan said his government is waiting a few more days for new developments. If these fail to occur, he said, Turkey will do the job itself.

In Washington, meanwhile, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and visiting British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said they hope that ministers from Turkey, Iraq and the United States will agree to attend a meeting on the sidelines of a conference in Istanbul late next week.

This content was commissioned for SETimes.com