U.S. urges Turkey to limit raids

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- The United States Friday urged Turkey to limit the breadth of its ground incursion into northern Iraq and to to end its cross-border raids quickly.

While agreeing with Turkey that the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, is a terrorist organization, officials from the White House and the departments of State and Defense asked Turkey to limit its latest military action against the PKK, citing broader security issues in Iraq, the Voice of America reported Friday.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson raised this concern with Turkish authorities.

"Our strong counsel to the Turkish government is to conclude, as quickly as possible, these operations, to limit them strictly and solely to PKK targets and to work directly with the Iraqi government," McCormack said.

The United States recently increased PKK intelligence-gathering cooperation with Turkey after the PKK staged several deadly raids into Turkey from mountain camps in northern Iraq. McCormack, however, said Turkey planned and carried out the current operation on its own.

At the White House, spokesman Scott Stanzel said Turkey notified the United States, adding it was his understanding that Iraqi authorities were informed as well.