Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, has said Washington views Kurdish fighters who have launched attacks on Turkey from Iraq as a “common enemy”.

Rice, on a visit to Turkey, said at a press conference on Friday that Washington and Ankara needed to show “commitment and persistence” against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Ali Babacan, Turkey’s foreign minister, said in the same press conference that Rice’s visit to Turkey marked the start of closer co-operation between the Nato allies against the PKK.

Rice said that Washington and Ankara were working together on intelligence sharing to combat the separatist group.

Rice will later attend wider talks in Istanbul to discuss Ankara’s strategy against the PKK, who have launched attacks against Turkey from bases in northern Iraq.

Iraqi officials are also attending the Istanbul conference, which was originally meant to focus on Iraq’s long-term stability.

The meeting comes amid concerns that Turkey may launch cross-border raids against fighters from the PKK.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, is also attending the talks.

‘Common enemy’

Turkey has accused the regional Kurdish government in northern Iraq of harbouring PKK fighters.

The separatist group is said to use bases in the mountainous region for cross-border attacks as part of its 23-year campaign for self-rule in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast.

Rice told reporters earlier en route to Turkey: “We have certainly been concerned that anything that would destabilise the north of Iraq is not going to be in Turkey’s interests, it is not going to be in our interests and it is not going to be in the Iraqis’ interests. That’s been the reason for urging restraint.

“But we understand the need to do something effective against this PKK threat … The PKK is an enemy of the United States just like it is an enemy of the Turks.”

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