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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 17:23 13/10/2007 Rice urges Turkey to avoid major military offensive against Iraqi Kurds By Reuters U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Saturday she had urged Turkey to refrain from any major military operation in northern Iraq as tensions flared between the two NATO allies. "I urged restraint," Rice, on a visit to Moscow, told reporters of her telephone conversations on Friday with Turkey's president, prime minister and foreign minister. Two senior U.S. officials flew to Turkey on Saturday to try to defuse strains after a Congressional resolution branded as genocide massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915. Advertisement Some analysts believe the vote could weaken Washington's "restraining" influence on Turkey and increase prospects of a Turkish incursion into northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried and U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman flew from Moscow where they had been accompanying Rice. CNN Turk television reported Edelman as saying on his arrival they were visiting Turkey to express regret over the approval of the resolution. The two are likely to hear sharp criticism from the Turkish government, which this week recalled its ambassador to the United States for consultations and said relations had been endangered by the resolution. They are also likely to bring up the issue of Iraq as the Turkish government is to seek approval from parliament next week for a major operation against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants based in the mountains of northern Iraq. "They [U.S. officials] are sure to raise the northern Iraq issue, but from our perspective the top issue is the Armenian resolution," a Turkish diplomat told Reuters. The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approved on Wednesday a resolution labelling the 1915 killings genocide. Turkey denies genocide but says many died in inter-ethnic fighting. Turkish officials say Foreign Ministry and military officials met after the resolution was approved to discuss potential measures against the United States. In initial repercussions, a U.S. visit by Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen was cancelled, along with a conference being held by the Turkish-U.S. Business Council in the United States. Other potential moves may include blocking U.S. access to Incirlik air base, cancelling procurement contracts, downscaling bilateral visits, denying airspace to U.S. aircraft, and halting joint military exercises, analysts and diplomats say. The United States relies heavily on Turkish bases to supply its war effort in Iraq, where more than 160,000 U.S. troops are trying to restore stability more than four years after the invasion that toppled former dictator Saddam Hussein. Ankara has long complained Washington has not done enough on its own or through the Iraqi government to crack down on PKK rebels who use northern Iraq as a base to attack Turkey. The PKK said on Friday its guerrillas were crossing back into Turkey to target politicians and police after the prospect of a cross-border military operation emerged. Turkey blames the PKK for the deaths of more than 30,000 people since the group launched its armed struggle for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984. The possibility of a major Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq is troubling to U.S. officials, who fear this could destabilise a relatively peaceful area of Iraq. The presence of Edelman, who was with Fried in Moscow for a meeting of the U.S. and Russian foreign and defense ministers, may aim to appeal to the Turkish military, a highly influential institution in the mostly Muslim but secular nation. Edelman was U.S. ambassador to Turkey from July 2003 to June 2005 Bookmark to del.icio.us Part of Jerusalem? PM Olmert questions whether Arab neighborhoods should be defined as part of the capital. Who is a Jew? Israel's draft constitution states that 'every Jew is entitled to immigrate to Israel.'   1.   The `top issue` should be... 00:38  |  Maureen Ann 14/10/07   2.   Moron Bum,Do you offer independent Aboriginistine to the natives? 02:26  |  Genuine Tosefta 14/10/07   3.   Turks Invasion 03:02  |  Brod 14/10/07   4.   More claptrap fromDumbya,s mouthpiece. 03:20  |  Labhras 14/10/07   5.   To #2 Labrat 05:20  |  Realist 14/10/07   6.   IDIOCY 06:01  |  Mark of Lewiston 14/10/07

Today Online Editorial: Hail Rice for paving the way for dividing the land Responses: 2 Daniel Ben Simon: Once-moderate Shas moves to extreme right Send response Polish rightist party slammed for anti-Semitic campaign ad Responses: 13 Likud urges Shas, Lieberman to quit gov't over PM's J'lem hints Responses: 9 Haaretz.com TV: Despite lobby's power, U.S. Jews are losing their bond to Israel Responses: 90 Rosner's Domain * Rice "understand risks to announcing a meeting" (WTR) * Guest: How to stop Hamas from spoiling Annapolis? * McCain is the pro-peace process GOP candidate * Poll: Is Rice's effort brave, pathetic, realistic, dangerous? More Headlines 10:24 Report: Swap gives Israel papers with Arad's writing 09:22 Two Palestinians, including one militant, killed in IDF Nablus raid 06:35 ANALYSIS: Israel, Hezbollah need no trust building measures 06:53 Likud urges Shas, Lieberman to quit gov't over PM's 'intention' 07:01 Cartoon spat prompts Shas to quit Knesset religious lobby 06:43 Abductees' families cautiously optimistic over Hezbollah deal 03:56 Balad activist murdered on doorstep of his business in Lod 05:32 Justice Minister orders drafting of bill limiting length of criminal probes 06:15 Medical students prefer not to intern in Israel's periphery 23:17 Polish right-wing party accused of running anti-Semitic campaign ad Previous Editions Select Day 15 oct 14 oct 12 oct 11 oct 10 oct 09 oct 08 oct 07 oct 05 oct 04 oct 03 oct 02 oct

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