RICE: RALSTON IS DESIROUS OF NOT HAVING TO CONTINUE

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Oct 15 2007

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that retired Gen. Joseph
Ralston, special representative of the United States for countering
the PKK, was desirous of not having to continue.

Upon a question about status of Gen. Ralston in Moscow, Rice said,
"he is desirous of, you know, not having to continue. But he has
said that he’ll try to help where he can and when he can. And
he’s terrific. He’s really done a good job in trying to bring that
together. It’ll be a different relationship. But I know that he has
offered that when he can help, he will."

Upon a question about approval of the resolution regarding Armenian
allegations by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Secretary Rice said, "well, you know, we’ll keep working to
try to prevent it from becoming — from winning on the floor. We’ll
certainly hope that it doesn’t come up in the Senate."

"We are certainly working to try to minimize any concrete steps that
the Turkish government might take of some of the kinds that have
floated around — you know, restricting the movement of our forces or
the like. And I’m hopeful we can prevent that because I think we and
Turkey both understand the importance of the strategic relationship,"
she said.

Asked about the possibility of a cross-border operation by Turkey
into northern part of Iraq, Rice said, "I urged restraint. And I
do know that they recognize the danger to their own interests of
destabilizing the north of Iraq."

Upon a question about the upcoming Iraq conference to be held in
Turkey, Rice said, "well, it’s scheduled to go on and I’m assuming
that it will. Again, we have so many common interests with Turkey. We
have good relations with that government and good relations with
Turkey. But clearly, the vote was dismaying for them and, frankly,
dismaying for us."