Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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March 1, 2008

Turkish Military Denies US Pressure on Iraq Withdrawal
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B681DF:A6F02AD83191E1607E1ED2C493D2B76AE55ED32ED25AB8F6& General Yasar
Buyukanit says withdrawal was for purely military reasons Turkey's top
military commander says Ankara's decision to withdraw its troops from
northern Iraq was not due to any pressure from the United States.







General Yasar Buyukanit (file photo)General Yasar Buyukanit told a
Turkish newspaper, Milliyet, that Friday's withdrawal was for purely
military reasons, adding that the troops had accomplished their
mission against Kurdish rebels.

On Thursday, President Bush had urged Ankara to bring a quick end to
the ground offensive.

The Turkish military says it killed 240 Kurdish rebels and lost 27 of
its own soldiers in a week of fighting. Officials said the operation
also destroyed more than 400 logistical targets.

Rebels loyal to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, have been
fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey since 1984.

A spokesman for President Bush says the U.S. will continue to work
with Turkey to deal with the PKK, which Washington calls a terrorist
group.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani welcomed Turkey's withdrawal and said
it shows Ankara kept its word to keep the operation limited and
temporary. Iraq had initially denounced Turkey for violating its
sovereignty and demanded an immediate troop withdrawal.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


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