Babacan meets with British secretary of foreign affairs

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday met with British Secretary of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Miliband, who is accompanying Queen Elizabeth during her visit to Turkey. Speaking to reporters following a three-hour meeting, Babacan said that they had agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation against terrorism. Concerning relations with the northern Iraqi administration, Babacan said that Turkey's direct dialogue with the regional administration was based on confidence building. Urging the Kurdish officials to take concrete steps to counter the PKK terrorist group, Babacan said this would contribute to the dialogue and cooperation between Turkey and the regional administration. Following Babacan's remarks, asked about the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Miliband said that constitutional principles and rules should be respected, but added that Britain believes publicly elected governments should be supported.