WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush met Wednesday with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and said Washington would not support any Kurd separatist move in Iraq.
"We talked about Iraq," Bush said. "I assured him that the United States' ambition is for a peaceful country, a democratic Iraq, that is territorially intact."
Turkey, which borders northern Iraq, is concerned a push for more regional autonomy by Iraqi Kurds could presage a move for an independent homeland, which would re-ignite Turkey's 15-year battle against Turkish-Kurd separatists.
Iraqi Kurds, who sided with the United States in the 1990-1991 Gulf War were a special target for revenge by Saddam Hussein but areas of their region operated independently of Baghdad and were protected by U.S. and British military air patrols operating from Turkey.
Turkey, a member of NATO, is considered a key ally in the war on terrorism.
