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STANBUL, Jan. 26 - Turkey's military is
prepared to intervene if postelection clashes erupt
in northern Iraq or if Iraqi Kurds try to form an
independent state, a senior army general said
Wednesday
The statement by Gen. Ilker Basbug, who ranks second
in the Turkish Army hierarchy, underscored Turkey's
growing anxiety over Iraqi elections scheduled for
Sunday.
In a news conference, the general said the military
command was closely following events in the
ethnically divided northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk,
which Iraq's Kurds are eager to control.
Turkey fears that the Kurds would exploit a
political victory in Kirkuk elections to form their
own state, precipitating a breakup of Iraq that
could threaten Turkish security
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com
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