Baykal: "The US is making Turkey play its game over the PKK"

In the US' game, it doesn't want terrorist elements to be removed from northern Iraq, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal told a meeting of his party's parliamentary group yesterday. Criticizing the government over the pullout of Turkish troops from northern Iraq after a recent ground offensive, Baykal claimed that Turkey was subject from the start to US pressure to end the operation. The CHP leader alleged the US is playing a "game" in the region, even though not all the players realize this. Pointing to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's visit to Ankara last week, Baykal claimed that the trip proves that Turkey is being forced to negotiate a compromise on the PKK issue.