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Turkish troops face many risks if they
cross into Iraqi Kurdistan
19.10.2007
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October
19, 2007
ISTANBUL, -- Turkish troops face many risks
if they cross into Kurdistan region in northern Iraq
to chase Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels, including
renewed attacks on their own side of the border,
Turkish experts said Friday.
The risk of a cross-border incursion has grown since
the Turkish parliament this week approved a one-year
authorisation for the military to cross into Iraq to
attack Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases.
But veterans of previous campaigns against the PKK
and other experts say the rebels are likely to just
melt into the background of the mountain terrain and
wait for a chance to hit back at their attackers.
The Turkish military estimates there are about 3,500
PKK fighters in mountain bases in Kurdistan
'northern Iraq', from where they plan and launch
strikes on Turkish security forces across the
border.
The bases run from the Turkish border to the Iranian
frontier. The rebel headquarters is believed to be
on Mount Qandil, near to Iran.
The PKK has only lightweight anti-aircraft weapons
and some ground-to-air missiles, said retired
general Haldun Solmazturk, a veteran of Turkish
attacks on the rebel bases in 1995 and 1997.
"In the past they did not display any strong
resistance and I don't expect them today to display
any stronger resistance than they did in the past,"
the general told AFP.
"There may be some long distance fighting, from long
range, just to disturb the Turkish units, but I do
not reasonably expect any credible resistance,"
added Solmazturk.
"Mainly they will vanish, and they can because the
nature of the terrain allows them to vanish, to hide
or to move away from where they are now in northern
Iraq. They can even easily get lost among the local
people."
Sedat Laciner, head of the International Strategic
Research Organisation (USAK), said there was a risk
that the rebels could draw Turkish troops deep into
Iraqi Kurdistan territory which could extend the
conflict to the general Kurdish population.
"When the army attacks, the PKK will try to escape
into into the interior and try to lead, through
provocations, the Turkish armed forces," said
Laciner, who warned against any action that could
draw in Iraqi Kurds.
The autonomous Kurdistan government in 'northern
Iraq' has a force of about 100,000 men, known as the
Peshmergas, and 2,000 armoured vehicles. On Friday
the government stressed its determination to fight
off any attack on its territory.
Kurdistan regional president Massoud Barzani
declared: "We frankly say to all parties: if they
attack the region or Kurdistan experiment under
whatever pretext, we will be completely ready to
defend our democratic experiment and the dignity of
our people and the sanctity of our homeland."
But Solmazturk said that despite its statements, the
government would "understand and tolerate small
scale short duration surgical type of military
operations."
The other main fear is that Kurdish rebels could set
off reprisal attacks in Turkish territory.
In case of an attack in northern Iraq, "Kurdish
society wil intensify the rebellion in all areas," a
PKK leader, Bahoz Erdal, said in an interview with
the pro-Kurdish Firat News Murat Karayilan news
agency.
He said there could be attacks on Turkey's oil
pipelines.
Erdal has already threatened to take on targets
within the Justice and Development party of Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing him of being
the head of a "war government".
Turkish police said Thursday that they had prevented
a PKK-inspired attack in the western city of Izmir,
in reaction to the parliamentary vote the previous
day.
AFP
**
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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