Over the past two days I have been very pleased to have my first visit to Ankara since assuming my position as U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. During this visit I met with a number of high-level Turkish government officials, business leaders, and members of Parliament and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and concern.

The United States values its counterterrorism cooperation with our NATO Ally Turkey. As part of my visit, I am pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is targeting three senior members of the terrorist organization Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). The Department has authorized rewards for information leading to the identification or location of the senior PKK members: Murat Karayilan (up to USD $5 million), Cemil Bayik (up to USD $4 million), and Duran Kalkan (up to USD $3 million).

In 1997 the U.S. Department of State designated the PKK as a foreign terrorist organization under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In 2001 the U.S. Government designated the PKK as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Entity pursuant to Executive Order 13224.

More information regarding these three terrorists is available on the Rewards for Justice website: www.rewardsforjustice.net. We encourage anyone with information to contact the Rewards for Justice office via the website, e-mail ([email protected]), phone (+1-800-877-3927), or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, D.C., 20520-0303, USA). All information will be kept strictly confidential.