Topic: voa Subject: U-S/TURKEY/IRAQ O'NITER (S ONLY) by VICTOR BEATTIE/WASHINGTON From: Yanni@ix.netcom.com (Ioannis Bousnakis) Topic: voa DATE=4/5/95 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-176599 TITLE=U-S/TURKEY/IRAQ O'NITER (S ONLY) BYLINE=VICTOR BEATTIE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: TURKEY'S FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER IN WASHINGTON TODAY (WEDNESDAY). IT IS A PART OF ANKARA'S MISSION TO DEAL WITH WESTERN CRITICISM OF ITS MILITARY OFFENSIVE AGAINST KURDISH REBELS IN IRAQ. V-O-A'S VICTOR BEATTIE REPORTS THE VISIT TO WASHINGTON COMES AS THE U-S DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SAYS TURKEY IS TRYING TO ABIDE BY HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS: TEXT: TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER ERDAL INONU'S MEETING TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WITH SECRETARY CHRISTOPHER WILL UNDERSCORE TURKEY'S POSITION. HE SPENT TWO DAYS IN BONN WITH GERMAN OFFICIALS ADDRESSING THEIR CONCERNS OVER THE OFFENSIVE -- NOW IN ITS 17TH DAY. GERMANY HAS FROZEN MILITARY AID TO ITS NATO ALLY. WESTERN NATIONS AND AID GROUPS HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF THE MILITARY INCURSION AIMED AT DESTROYING THE TERRORIST CAPABILITIES OF KURDISH SEPARATISTS. THEY CHARGE IT IS RESULTING IN CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. SEVERAL FRENCH AID GROUPS ACCUSE ANKARA OF VIOLATING BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS AND HAVE CALLED ON THE UNITED NATIONS TO CONDEMN THE MILITARY OFFENSIVE. U-S DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN DENNIS BOXX SAYS THE 35 THOUSAND TURKISH TROOPS INSIDE IRAQ ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO AVOID SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. MR. BOXX SAYS THERE IS NO INDICATION NOR ANY REASON TO BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE OTHERWISE. THE PENTAGON SPOKESMAN SAYS HE HAS NOT SEEN REPORTS BY TURKISH MEDIA ALLEGING TURKISH TROOPS MURDERED SEVEN SHEPHERDS WHILE SEARCHING FOR KURDISH REBELS. ANKARA HAS DENIED THE ALLEGATION -- CALLING IT REBEL PROPAGANDA, BUT SAYS IT IS INVESTIGATING THE CLAIM. (SIGNED). NEB / WOD 05-Apr-95 2:01 AM EDT (0601 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America