ANKARA (AFP) – The United States has been in contact with Turkey over new files to be released on the Internet by WikiLeaks, Turkish officials said Friday, stressing Ankara’s commitment to fighting terrorism.
According to media reports, the planned release by the whistle-blowing website includes papers suggesting that Turkey helped Al-Qaeda militants in Iraq, and that the United States helped Iraq-based Kurdish rebels fighting Turkey.
The US embassy in Ankara “gave us information on the issue, just as other countries have been informed,” a senior diplomat, who declined to be named, told AFP.
He would not say what message the US conveyed.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara did not know what kind of papers the files contained.
“This is speculation… But as a principle, tolerating or ignoring any terrorist action that originates in Turkey and targets a neighbouring country, particularly Iraq, is out of the question,” he said on CNN Turk television.
“The Iraqi authorities have conveyed no complaint to us on the issue…. On the contrary, Turkey has taken very serious measures in the struggle against Al-Qaeda and its efforts have always been appreciated.