Subject: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (April 6, 1995)
Topic: std
From: hristu@arcadia.harvard.edu (Dimitrios Hristu)
 
Subject: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING (April 6, 1995)
Topic: std
FDate: 95-04-06


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE  
95/04/06 DAILY PRESS BRIEFING  
OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN  
  
  
  
                        U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE  
                          DAILY PRESS BRIEFING  
  
                                I N D E X  
  
                        Thursday, April 6, 1995  
  
                                       Briefer:  David Johnson  
  
  
[...]
  
TURKEY  
Senator Pell's Statement re: Shift in Administration  
  Position on Turkish Incursion .......................3-4  
Assistant Secretary Holbrooke Comments re PKK .........5  
--Department's Terrorism Report/PKK Bases in Syria ....5-6  
Readout of the Secretary's Mtg with Turkish FM ........3,5  
  
[...]  
  
  
                       U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE  
                         DAILY PRESS BRIEFING  
  
                                               DPC #46  
  
                   THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 1995, 1:01 P. M.  
                  (ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)  
  
[...]

     Q     Still Iraq but a slightly different issue.  Yesterday,   
Senator Pell in a written statement said that there had been a shift in   
Administration's attitude, stance, regarding the Turkish incursion into   
northern Iraq.  Could you comment on that shift and if that signifies   
more radical, relatively speaking, attitude on the part of the   
Administration?  
  
     MR. JOHNSON:  It's unclear to me what you mean by "radical," but I   
can tell you that there has not been a shift; that the Secretary of   
State made very clear today the position that the United States has had   
and does have in his -- he had a photo opportunity this morning before   
his meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations and   
addressed that question.  Our position has been consistent from day one.    
It's based on the assurances that Turkish officials at the Prime   
Ministerial level, Foreign Minister level, have given us.  
  
     I'd say, to reiterate what others have said, that we recognize that   
Turkey faces a severe terrorist problem.  We expect them to deal with it   
in the terms that they've outlined to us, and that is limited scope and   
duration with full respect for the rights of non-combatants.  
  
     Q     Isn't that the first time, though, that this support is being   
conditioned on these assurances?  
  
     MR. JOHNSON:  I do not believe that this is any different than the   
formulation we have used all along.  
  
     Q     That's the first time I've heard any U.S. official say that   
our support is conditioned on them living up to the conditions --  
  
     MR. JOHNSON:  I would not read anything into that.  Perhaps and   
before we had said "based on" or words to that effect.  You may be   
parsing our words a little harder than the rest of us are.  
[...]
  
     Q     Assistant Secretary Holbrooke yesterday morning said that he   
believed that the massive incursion of 35,000 troops would not eliminate   
an organization which has cells all around the world.  Is it how the   
Administration categorizes PKK now?  
  
     MR. JOHNSON:  I don't have a formulation that the Administration   
has blessed as how we categorize the PKK other than as a terrorist   
organization.  I'd refer you to the last publication of the "Patterns of   
Global Terrorism" for a full description of the PKK.  I'm not taking   
issue with Mr. Holbrooke.  I just don't have a way to reformulate that   
for you except to refer you to that document as our precise formulation   
of what the PKK is.  I believe it's going to be published in its next   
year's version in the next few weeks, so we'll obviously have an update   
on that.  But I don't anticipate it changing markedly.  
  
     Q     Yesterday afternoon, Secretary Christopher met with Turkish   
Foreign Minister Inonu.  
  
     MR. JOHNSON:  That's correct.  
  
     Q     Could you give us a reading of that meeting?  
  
     MR. JOHNSON:  Let's see if I've got anything.  The discussion   
covered all of the major issues in our relationship, but I don't really   
have anything for you beyond the description that the Secretary has   
already given you of our discussion about the incursion against the PKK.  
  
     Q     Can I follow up on a previous question about the far-flung   
PKK?  The document you mentioned -- the terrorism report -- says that   
they do have bases and offices in Syria.  It's been said that a lot of   
these PKK members in northern Iraq fled back to Syria prior to the   
operation.  Is this something we've raised with our peace partner in   
Damascus?  
  
     MR. JOHNSON:  I don't have anything for you on that.  I know that   
Dennis (Ross) is in the region right now.  I'm not suggesting that   
that's going to be on his agenda.  I just don't have anything.  
  
[...]
  
     (Press briefing concluded at 1:17 p.m.)  
  
(###)
