In Ankara, the senior Bush administration official told reporters traveling with Cheney there also must be political, economic and educational components in controlling rebels aligned with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. He said that in supporting Turkey, the United States is "trying hard to avoid any problems that would add to existing stresses" on the political balance in neighboring Iraq, which has a large Kurdish component.

Cheney agreed with President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish defense minister that the Kurdistan regional government in Iraq must be included in the efforts to solve the PKK problem, the senior U.S. official said. In addition, the Turkish officials expressed a desire for continued growth in Turkish investment and cooperation in northern Iraq.

The U.S. vice president also stressed to the Turkish leaders the importance of ensuring Afghanistan becomes a stable nation. While the Turkish officials agreed with that sentiment, they did not commit to adding Turkish troops to the cause, the official said.