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| Europe |
| CIA director meets with Turkish leadership |
| 2005-12-14 |
| The US Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Director Porter Goss started his second day of meetings in Ankara with a visit to the Police followed by a call on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The fight against the terrorist organization Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) was discussed in the meetings held Tuesday. Goss stopped by the Police headquarters where he met Security Director General Gokhan Aydiner in the morning. Three messages are reported to have been conveyed to Goss during the talks: "European support for terrorism must be prevented, Fehriye Erdal; the suspect in the Sabanci assassination must be returned and the broadcasting of Roj TV must be stopped." The CIA Director, finding Turkish demands justified, said he will take the necessary steps. His last stop in the Turkish capital was at the Prime Ministry Residence. Goss, in meeting with Erdogan, was accompanied by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Under Secretary. The Prime Minister emphasized Turkey expects support in exchange for information about the terrorist organization. The American bureaucrat stressed they want to increase the intelligence shared and developed in cooperation with Turkey. In addition to Police Intelligence Department Head Sabri Uzun, the US Ambassador in Ankara and Goss's two aides took part in the talks. Aydiner pointed to the activities of the terrorist organization PKK-Kongra-Gel. The Police Chief asked the US to step in and put pressure to stop European support of the terrorist organizations activities as well as for the return of Fehriye Erdal to Turkey. Aydiner also mentioned Roj TV which is broadcast from Denmark during their talks. The Chief reiterated the terrorist organization receives instructions from Roj TV and asked for support from Goss to stop this channel. It is also reported that Luai Sakra, arrested for organizing an attack on an Israeli cruise ship in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, was discussed at the talks recently held between the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller and the Police General Director. Mueller pointing out the shortness of the custody period in Turkey said "Al-Qaeda militants such as Luai Sakra must be questioned for a longer time. There is much information that can be obtained from such people. The longer they stay in police custody the more information can be obtained." Aydiner reffering to the increased 28-day custody period in the UK, said, "We are doing what the law system tells us to do." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 "European support for terrorism must be prevented, Fehriye Erdal; the suspect in the Sabanci assassination must be returned and the broadcasting of Roj TV must be stopped, our prisons and interrogators are the very best in the region and we hope to win your contract." |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2005-12-14 18:01 |