Jeffrey: "The US is ready yo share more intelligence with Turkey to combat the PKK"

Amid speculation of an alleged weakening in intelligence-sharing between the US and Turkey on the terrorist PKK, which has recently escalated its attacks on the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), US Ambassador James Jeffrey yesterday released a written statement saying that there has been no change in the level of intelligence-sharing between the US and Turkey concerning the terrorist PKK, which has launched attacks against Turkish security forces from northern Iraq. "America shares in Turkey's grief at the loss of 12 heroic troops and police in our joint struggle against the PKK," said the statement. "There has been no change in the level of US-Turkey intelligence sharing regarding the PKK in northern Iraq. We stand ready to review urgently any new requests from the Turkish military or government. It is worth noting that despite our best intelligence efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan supporting our forces there, we have experienced attacks similar to that conducted against Turkish forces in Semdinli." He called the PKK a common enemy of both the US and Turkey. In related news, Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug told reporters that the military would continue to fight terrorism with patience and determination. "There is not the slightest decline in our resolution to fight terrorism," he said. Asked about intelligence-sharing with the US, Basbug said this would continue in efforts against the terrorist PKK, adding that Turkey is thankful. In other news, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen yesterday condemned the recent terrorist PKK attacks and expressed full solidarity with Ankara's anti-terrorist efforts. "I strongly condemn the recent terrorist attacks in Turkey, which have caused the deaths of a number of Turkish soldiers in the past few days, and dozens since March," he said. "There is no justification for these terrorist attacks." EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule and the French Foreign Ministry also condemned the attacks.