PKK influence waning, U.S. says

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Washington welcomes any step taken by Turkish authorities that would diminish the strength of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, U.S. officials said.

Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, crossed the northern border of Iraq to surrender to Turkish authorities earlier this week.

Ankara is searching for a political solution to the ambitions of the Kurdish minority. That issue is complicated by simmering conflict with PKK separatists and modest gains by pro-Kurdish political parties in Turkey.

Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, called on members of his blacklisted organization to form "peace groups" in an effort to resolve the so-called Kurdish question.

Washington considers the PKK to be a terrorist organization for its militant activity in parts of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey. The U.S. Treasury Department recently froze the assets of leaders of the PKK for narcotic trafficking.

Ian Kelly, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said Washington welcomed any measure that would diminish the strength of the guerrilla organization.

"I think any steps that are taken to diminish the influence or power of a terrorist organization like the PKK, that we would welcome that," he said.

While stressing the matter was not connected "necessarily" with U.S. policy in Iraq, Kelly said the reconciliation effort was largely welcomed.

"I think any steps that are taken to help deal with this problem, whether it's in northern Iraq or Turkey itself, of course, we would welcome it," he said.