Sydney - United States Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday urged Turkey to keep its incursion into Iraq as short as possible and retreat immediately the mission iss accomplished. Gates, speaking to reporters in Canberra after bilateral talks with Australian government officials, said that Iraq's sovereignty was important but that Turkey had suffered attacks by PKK insurgents in which Turkish soldiers and civilians had been killed.
"The first thing that is important is regular dialogue and openness between the Turkish government and the Iraqi government and, I would say, also the government of Kurdistan in terms of their intentions, their concerns, their plans and their activities," he told reporters.
"In terms of the current operation, I would hope that it would be short, that it would be precise and avoid loss of innocent life and that they leave as quickly as they can accomplish their mission."
Gates said he didn't see the incursion as a threat to Iraq's stability.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith was more strident in his criticism of Turkey, saying it was imperative that Iraq's sovereignty be respected.
"The Turks should respect Iraq's sovereignty and they should retreat back over the border as soon as possible," Smith said. "We believe, as the US administration expressed yesterday through Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, that those Turkish troops should withdraw as soon as possible."
