U.S. Urges Turkey To "Renew Commitment" To Peace Bid, Welcomes Dialogue With Israel, Iraq

U.s. Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby underlined their "encouragement by the dialogue" between Turkey and Iraq after withdrawal of Turkish forces from Mosul's Bashika military camp, stating "military activity is going on inside Iraq needs to be done with the approval of the sovereign Iraqi Government".

On the other hand, "I am not going to speak to Turkish military activities. But as I understand it, it is a training presence that they have there. And I do not know of any training mission that ISIL's (Islamic State) taken on with respect to forces in northern Iraq, so I do not see how you can compare the two" Kirby told reporters in a daily press briefing, on Dec .21.

John Kirby also called on Turkey to "renew commitment to political process by the Turkish Government to bring about a just and sustainable peace for all Turkish citizens, regarding the ongoing violence in Turkey's southeast. Kirby stressed they were aware of reports on curfews in several towns.

"While we understand Turkey needs to take security measures, it should also take all feasible precautions to protect civilians and to act consistently with its legal obligations" he added, refusing to make further statements.

Kirby also addressed Turkey-Israel reconciliation talks, stressing they would "welcome" a potential agreement between the two countries, which are "key allies in the region" of the U.S., to restore diplomatic relations.

Turkey and Russia have been in a spat over the downing of Russian Su-24 by Turkey due to border breach on Nov. 24.

"Our position has not changed since the shoot-down that we want to see the tensions reduced, obviously. And we respect Turkey's right to protect its airspace" Kirby said, reiterating the call of U.S. for both sides to "work on de-confliction measures".

U.S. Spokesperson also expressed concerns over freedom of expression and protection of journalism in Turkey, as Editor-in-chief of dail Cumhuriyet and other newspapers' journalists have been in jail.

"We look to the Government of Turkey to ensure that law enforcement and judicial authorities act in accordance with international legal standards, including full respect for due process and equal treatment under the law" John Kirby said. - Washington