New CIA chief holds terror talks in Turkish capital

New CIA chief Gen. David Petraeus arrived in Ankara on Monday in an unannounced visit to hold talks with military and government officials about ways to reinforce bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

“This visit from Petraeus was planned two weeks ago,” a senior official told the Hürriyet Daily News on condition of anonymity. “This is a clear indication that U.S. support to Turkey’s fight against terrorism will continue.”

Petraeus came to Ankara from Afghanistan, where he handed over the command of his troops to Gen. John Allen. He is scheduled to begin his job as CIA chief in early September.

Petraeus met late Monday with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and senior military officials; he is scheduled to leave Turkey early Tuesday.

Sources said Washington’s potential contribution in helping Turkey fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, would top the agenda of Petraeus’ visit, which was made primarily to thank Turkey for its leadership in commanding the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, in Afghanistan and for cooperating with American troops in ending the terrorism threat.

“Petraeus’ visit was set two weeks ago with both sides’ confirmation that cooperation in the fight against terrorism will be particularly reviewed,” a source with knowledge of the meeting said. During her meetings with Turkish officials Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised to strengthen efforts to this end. Coming only days after a fatal PKK attack killed 13 Turkish troops, Petraeus’ visit is expected to be an important one in terms of discussing new measures to boost cooperation.

Sources said that although American troops would pull out from Iraq by the end of this year, there was still a possibility that they would give more support to Turkey in eliminating PKK elements based in northern Iraq.

With former CIA chief Leon Panetta having been appointed as the new U.S. defense secretary, Turkish officials said this duo will be important for Ankara in establishing direct contacts with Washington on the fight against terror.

Mideast on the agenda

In addition to the fight against the PKK, Petraeus’ and Turkish officials reportedly discussed a wide range of issues common to both countries, including the Syrian regime’s crackdown on protesters and diplomatic relations with Damascus, as well as Iran’s growing influence in Iraq at a moment when the United States is set to withdraw its troops. The ongoing NATO operation against the Libyan regime and other regional political and security matters were also reportedly analyzed.

No official meeting with MIT

As Petraeus has not assumed his job as CIA chief, he made the trip to Ankara in his capacity as the outgoing commander of the ISAF. For this reason, no official meeting with Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, was scheduled, an MİT official told the Daily News.

/Hurriyet Daily News/