Bush, Erdogan pledge to work against PKK

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday declared their determination to work together against Kurdish rebels.

Erdogan is visiting Washington and in a joint statement during an Oval Office photo opportunity, the two leaders pledged to work together to improve intelligence on the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK and characterized as a terrorist group.

"Turkey is a strategic partner and strong ally of America,'' Bush said in opening statement.

"We had a long discussion about a common concern."

Bush called the Kurdish group an enemy of Turkey, Iraq and the United States.

Bush and Erdogan agreed to have their second highest military leaders stay in touch, with an emphasis on sharing intelligence data.

"Good intelligence ... using modern technology ... will make it much easier to deal effectively," Bush said.

We must "locate and find and stop the leadership of the PKK from doing what they're doing,'' Bush said.

Erdogan said if his government decides to conduct military raids into Iraq, they will be focused "solely" on the PKK, not civilians.