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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Monday said it shared Turkish concerns about Kurdish separatist fighters in northern Iraq but urged Ankara not to take military action across its southern neighbor’s borders.
"We are certainly concerned about the PKK and terrorist organizations," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters, referring to the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
"On the other hand it’s also important, we think, to recognize the territorial sovereignty of Iraq," he said after Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Turkey had massed 140,000 troops in a possible prelude to a strike in Iraq.
US officials declined to confirm the figure but acknowledged longstanding tensions between Iraq and Turkey on the issue.
Turkish leaders complain that Kurdish separatist rebels launch operations across the northern Iraqi border into Turkey and the Turkish armed forces say they are ready to strike back.
"The United States wants the problem to be dealt with so that the Turks to not have to deal with PKK terrorism. And so Turkey, Iraq and the United States are all working together to rout out terrorists," said US national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
