Saygun will be returning a visit by Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Ankara in late November, where the latter discussed the establishment of a joint command center in the capital city of Turkey to coordinate the US's transfer of real-time intelligence on the PKK hideouts in northern Iraq.Saygun's planned visit will also take place as part of a decision reached between Turkey and the US to set up a high-level military-to-military dialogue to coordinate the real-time intelligence cooperation.
Following his meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Washington at the Oval Office on Nov. 5, US President George W. Bush publicly announced that the US will supply Turkey with real-time intelligence in its pursuit of PKK terrorists, whom he defined as a common enemy of both countries while disclosing a tri-party mechanism to be established between the countries' militaries in coordinating intelligence cooperation.
As part of Bush's decision, Gen. David Petraeus, head of the US forces in Iraq, and Cartwright visited Ankara in late November, followed by a visit by Gen. Bantz Craddock, commander of the US forces in Europe, to coordinate the fight against the PKK.
Meanwhile President Abdullah Gül, who praised the US last Wednesday for providing intelligence in support of attacks against the PKK, is scheduled to visit the US between Jan. 7 and 9.
"Things are going on well at the moment. Intelligence is being shared" between the two NATO allies, Gül told reporters during a ceremony held at the presidential palace.
US support "befits our alliance," Gül said, adding: "Both of us are satisfied. This is how it should be. We could have come to this point earlier." In the meantime, despite real-time intelligence cooperation, the White House expressed concern to Ankara over a possible escalation of Turkey's attacks inside Iraq, especially "anything that could lead to ... civilian casualties," spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
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