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Turkish army drafts cross-border operation
scenarios for Iraqi Kurdistan
11.10.2007 |
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Turkish government could freeze President Barzani's
bank accounts in Turkey
October
11, 2007
ANKARA, -- Turkey's army has prepared several
scenarios of a trans-border operation in Kurdistan
'north Iraq' to counter Kurdish PKK insurgents,
which the government will pass to parliament on
Thursday, a local newspaper said.
Turkey's government announced on Tuesday the
possibility of a military incursion into Iraq to
track down Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters,
who have killed 15 Turkish troops since Sunday. The
country has been amassing troops near Iraq, and
shelling and air-raiding suspected rebel positions
along the border.
The scenarios include an advance of 5-10 km into
Iraq to gain full control of the border; pinpoint
air attacks on suspected separatist bases; air raids
on PKK strongholds in the mountains; and combined
land operations and air attacks, Hurriyet newspaper
reported on Thursday.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on
television on Wednesday that the operation would aim
to clear the region of PKK fighters, who currently
number about 3,500, but did not say when it could be
launched.
He said the government wanted parliamentary approval
for the operation to be valid within a year, so the
army can "tackle problems as they arise."
Iraq has protested against a Turkish military
operation on its territory, calling it "aggression
against Iraq and its territorial integrity." Erdogan
responded that Ankara was not after Iraq's territory
or sovereignty, but sought to counter the mounting
terrorism threat emanating from the country.
Local media said the Turkish leadership was
considering imposing sanctions against Massoud
Barzani, president of the Autonomous Kurdistan
Government in 'northern Iraq' and leader of the
Kurdistan Democratic Party, accusing him of
supporting the PKK.
Officially, Turkey does not recognise the regional
government of Kurdistan led by president Massoud
Barzani.
Cumhurriyet said the Turkish government could freeze
Barzani's bank accounts in Turkey and seize his
property. Barzani is reported to control Turkey's
imported alcohol market, estimated at $300 million,
and to own or control about 180 companies in the
Mediterranean province of Mercin, Turkey's free
trade zone.
The PKK party has been fighting for an autonomy in
the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey for nearly 25
years. The conflict has claimed the lives of about
40,000 people.
Iraqi Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using a
Kurdish separatist PKK rebel group as an excuse to
invade Kurdistan region 'Iraq' to prevent the
establishment of Kurdistan state in the Kurdish
autonomous region in 'northern Iraq' and the
solution of PKK problem is inside Turkey.
Ankara is anxious to prevent the emergence of a
Kurdish state in Kurdistan region 'northern Iraq',
fearing this could fan separatism among its own
large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey.
RIA Novosti - rian.ru
**
Kurds are not recognized as an official minority in
Turkey and are denied rights granted to other
minority groups. Under EU pressure, Turkey recently
granted Kurds limited rights for broadcasts and
education in the Kurdish language, but critics say
the measures do not go far enough.
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan" Southeast
Turkey.
Others estimate over 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
Turkey is home to over 25 million ethnic Kurds, some
of whom openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK for a
Kurdish homeland in the country's mainly Kurdish
southeast of Turkey.
Before August 2002, the Turkish government placed
severe restrictions on the use of Kurdish language,
prohibiting the language in education and broadcast
media.
The Kurdish alphabet is still not recognized
in Turkey, and use of the Kurdish letters X, W, Q
which do not exist in the Turkish
alphabet has led to judicial persecution in 2000 and
2003
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan
but unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag
is banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it
is a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan ( Kurdistan-Turkey)
wikipedia
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