US pledges support to help Turkey counter PKK threat

Speaking at a dinner which was held as part of the 31st Annual Conference of the American Turkish Council (ATC) in Washington yesterday, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that the US had expressed its strong solidarity in Turkey's fight against terrorist PKK and would continue to help Turkey counter this threat. During the meeting which was attended by senior Turkish and American officials, including Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (ISA) Joseph McMillan and US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone, Panetta said that the alliance between Turkey and the US has reached a peak in importance not only for the security of both nations but also globally. Panetta added that the PKK issue would not be solved by mere military activity and that continuing political dialogue is also essential to resolution. Panetta also expressed gratitude for Turkey's decisiveness concerning security-building efforts in Afghanistan. Speaking for his part during the same conference, Yilmaz noted that Turkey currently hosted around 25,000 Syrian refugees in camps located in four different provinces. Touching upon the ongoing security situation in Syria as having potential implications for Turkish security, Yilmaz also claimed that Turkey was ready to take all necessary measures if the threat becomes real danger.