VOA常速英语2008年-Gates Urges Ankara to End Iraq Incursion

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
28 February 2008

Turkey has come under renewed pressure to end its incursion into northern Iraq against a Kurdish rebel group.  U.S. Secretary of Defense¹ Robert Gates visited Ankara and reiterated² Washington's call to end the operation, which Turkey says has killed more than 230 rebels in the past week.  Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates held a series of talks with Turkey's political leadership and spoke³ about the incursion after meeting his Turkish counterpart, Vecdi Gonul.

"The United States believes the current operation must be as a short and as precisely⁴ targeted as possible," Gates said.

But Gonul was equally firm, saying Turkish forces would remain in Iraq as long as necessary.  Gates said no discussions were held on a specific timetable for the end of the Turkish incursion.  But he ruled out cutting off U.S. support for the operation.  The United States is providing intelligence information on Kurdish rebels to Turkish forces.

Turkey accuses the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK, of using northern Iraq as a base to launch attacks against its forces.  The rebels have been fighting for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast since 1984. 

This latest incursion into Iraq is seen as a pre-emptive strike against an expected spring offensive by the PKK.  But with fighting continuing to intensify⁵, pressure is growing on Turkey to withdraw. 

Washington is anxious to avoid alienating⁶ Iraqi Kurds, and Gates urged Ankara to work with the Iraqi-Kurdish leadership.  He also called for a political, as well as a military, solution to the insurgency⁷.

"It should be clear military action alone will not alone end this terrorist threat, while it is certainly part of the equation there must be simultaneous efforts with non military initiative with economic programs and political outreach," Gates said.

But for now, Ankara is determined⁸ to follow only a military solution to the PKK threat.  Turkish forces claim to have killed hundreds of rebels and destroyed more than 400 PKK targets. 

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

5 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

6 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

7 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。