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Iraq warns Turkey against any military
incursions
6.7.2006
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ATHENS, July 6 ,
-- Iraq warned neighbouring Turkey on Thursday to
refrain from any military incursions into Kurdistan,
its northern border region to fight Kurdish
guerrillas based there.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, on a visit
to Athens, noted no Turkish incursions had taken
place so far.
"But if this does happen in the future, then our
position will be different," he said after meeting
Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyanni. "Iraq will demand
its borders are not violated and that no country is
involved in its domestic matters."
Ankara has kept around 1,500 special forces in
Kurdistan (northern Iraq) since the 1990s to prevent
infiltration into southeast Turkey by PKK Kurdish
guerrillas.
Earlier this year, Ankara reinforced its southeast
border region with 40,000 troops, adding to 220,000
already there. |
Hoshyar Zebari, Iraqi foreign minister |
Turkey has long urged U.S. and Iraqi troops in
northern Iraq to crack down on the Kurdish rebels
who use their mountain hideouts as a springboard to
attack forces across the border.
Ankara blames the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
for the deaths of at least 30,000 people since the
group launched an armed campaign for a separate
Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984.
"All countries know that sovereignty must be
respected and there should be no intervention in
domestic issues," Zebari said. "There is no doubt
the developments in Iraq are very critical for the
whole region.
Reuters
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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