VOA常速英语2007-Turkey Says It Will Not Wait Forever to Attack R

By Sonja Pace
London
23 October 2007

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayipp Erdogan says his government cannot wait forever for neighboring Iraq to deal with rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party who are using northern Iraq as a safe haven¹ from which to launch attacks against Turkey. The prime minister issued the warning after meeting with his British counterpart, Gordon Brown, in London and follows a rebel ambush² on Sunday in which at least 12 Turkish soldiers were killed and eight are missing and presumed kidnapped. VOA's Sonja Pace has details from the British capital.

Speaking at a joint³ news conference after their talks, Prime Minister Erdogan said he has held numerous talks with Iraqi leaders in the past and so far to no avail. He warned that if Iraq does not deal with the PKK rebels inside its territory, Turkey will.

Turkey cannot wait forever, the prime minister said. He said Turkey has no territorial⁴ designs on its neighbor and fully⁵ supports the Iraqi people. But, he warned his government has the right and the mandate⁶ from parliament to launch cross border attacks against PKK bases in northern Iraq.

Mr. Erdogan did not specify⁷ when such attacks might take place.

Turkey has about 10,000 troops along its border with Iraq and the build-up continues. The threat of a large-scale incursion increased dramatically after Sunday's rebel ambush near the Iraq border.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown strongly condemned⁹ the attack and promised support for Turkey.

"We condemn⁸ absolutely and unequivocally the terrorist violence of the PKK," he said.

Mr. Brown said Britain appreciates the restraint Turkey has thus far shown. The United States has also called for restraint, expressing fears that an incursion into northern Iraq could create chaos¹⁰ in this one relatively¹¹ stable area of Iraq.

The Turkish and Iraqi foreign ministers met in Baghdad to discuss the issue as well, and Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd, resolved to deal the PKK issue.

The PKK took up arms against the government in the mid¹² 1980's with the aim of establishing a Kurdish homeland in southeastern Turkey. More than 30,000 people have been killed in the conflict since then.

Turkey says it will pursue diplomatic efforts. But speaking in London, Prime Minister Erdogan said his government is looking at the military option and he said he hopes Turkey's friends will understand if it exercises that right. The prime minister's final warning: "We will take any action necessary."

1 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

2 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

7 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

8 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。