Deputy prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Monday ties between Turkey and the United States would be ruined if it was proven that the Americans really supplied arms to the PKK terrorist organization.

Gul speaking at an interview with Channel A TV the foreign minister was asked to comment on claims that the U.S. has supplied arms to the PKK. "There is no such an evidence. But there is such a claim. We asked for clarifications form the Americans. There has been chaos in Iraq. Of course, the U.S. army and several European armies send weapons to Iraq. A new army is being set up there. When we searched the origin of the weapons that were seized on some of the terrorists, we noticed that these are the ones given to the Iraqi army."

Gul said if it was proven that the U.S. provided weapons to the PKK "all relations between Turkey and the United States would be shattered. We are studying the matter. The U.S. listed the PKK as a terrorist organization. We are also conducting joint efforts (with the United States) to cut the financial resources of the PKK. That's why it would be strange to provide weapons to the terrorist organization. These claims might be a game to harm relations between the two countries."

Asked whether there is a threat from the north of Iraq towards Turkey, Gul said, "if there is chaos and authority vacuum in the country, any terrorist organization can do what it wants. There is such a situation there (Iraq). This might cause a threat."

Replying to a question on a possible cross-border operation into northern Iraq within the next 30 days, Gul stated that he could not say anything on this matter, but everything could change according to circumstances and developments.