By Xinhua
Washington : The United States reiterated on Monday its call for Turkey to shorten its military operation against Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq.
“We hope that this is just a short-term incursion,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters.
The White House urged Turkey last week to limit its operations in northern Iraq to precisely target the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“We urged them to work directly also with the Iraqis, including Kurdish government officials, in determining how best to address the threat of the PKK,” White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
The Turkish military said Friday that it launched air strike and shelling on Thursday on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq.
Turkey, which sent ground troops in the region Thursday evening, said it would withdraw its troops after it “achieves the planned targets.”
The White House has been declining to condemn Turkish incursion in Iraq, saying that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters are “a threat” to Turkey, Iraq, and the United States.