UK, Turkey sign strategic partnership
Details of the partnership include a commitment to support and maintain the momentum of Turkey's EU accession talks and help with promoting Turkey in Europe and more twinning and bilateral projects. Turkey defence relationship, including within the framework of NATO and through support for Turkish participation in ESDP operations.
The commitment was to promote the transatlantic partnership and improve cooperation on global security, in particular the fight against terrorism, counter-proliferation, aviation security, the illegal drugs trade, illegal immigration and other organised crime.
Other aspects included the promotion of regional stability and peace, especially in the Middle East and Afghanistan, including partnerships to promote economic development.
10 DOWN STREET
In a Downing Street press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the PM said that he "absolutely and unequivocally" condemned the actions of the Kurdish terrorists on Sunday that left 12 soldiers dead. A further eight are being held by the PKK in an undisclosed location.
The Prime Minister said that he could "appreciate the anger in Turkey" over the latest killings and that the UK would do it all it could to help "investigate and root out" terrorist elements operating in the border region of south east Turkey and northern Iraq. Mr Brown added that the UK and Turkey had agreed to build closer ties on security issues to deal with both the PKK and wider terrorist threats.
The PM also said that the allies including the US, the Iraqi government and the regional Kurdish government in northern Iraq would work with Turkey and the UK to ensure "no safe haven" for terrorists in the border area. The PKK has been fighting for an independent Kurdish state straddling Turkey and Iraq since the 1970s.
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