|
Iraq asks Turkey for time to take steps
against PKK
18.11.2007
|
|
|
|
November 18, 2007
BAGHDAD,-- Iraq urged Turkey on Saturday to
give it time to implement measures aimed at
restricting the movements of Turkey's Kurdish
separatist PKK rebels, a day after Iraq's president
said a Turkish incursion was now "almost
inevitable".
Iraq's Kurdistan regional government (KRG) has set
up roadblocks to stop the flow of food and fuel to
rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), who use
Iraq's mountainous north as a launchpad for attacks
on southern Turkey.
"Turkey should allow for steps taken ... to limit
PKK activity. These steps have only been in
operation for two weeks," Iraqi government spokesman
Ali al-Dabbagh told reporters in Baghdad.
"Turkey wants to get rid of the PKK forever... We
are trying to help them in a way that is within our
capacity," he said, adding unilateral action by
Turkey would be unacceptable.
Turkey has massed up to 100,000 troops backed by
tanks, artillery and planes on Iraq's Kurdistan
border and threatened to launch a major military
operation to crush the PKK guerrillas.
Members of Turkey's ruling AK party were quoted as
saying on Friday that a cross-border operation could
only be averted if the rebels laid down their arms.
An opinion poll published on Friday showed 81
percent of Turks favour an incursion.
Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani, a Kurd, said on
Friday a limited Turkish military operation was "now
almost inevitable".
He said there were indications Turkey would limit
the scope of the operation to the mountains, where
the PKK was present, and would not target areas
under the KRG's control.
Iraqi Kurdish politician says, Turkey is using
Turkey's 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', Turkey fears
this could fan separatism among its own large
Kurdish population in southeast Turkey.
www.ekurd.net
Turkey rejects direct talks with Iraqi Kurdistan
government, Officially, Turkey does not recognise
the regional government of Kurdistan led by
president Massoud Barzani.
Turkey has never, and still does not, recognize the
Kurdistan region government (KRG) and refuses to
meet with its representatives in any official
capacity. That reflects Ankara's fear that any
international respect shown to the autonomous Iraqi
Kurdistan region would only embolden Turkey's own
large Kurdish minority to seek similar home-rule
status.
www.ekurd.net
More than 37,000 people have died since the PKK took
up arms in 1984 for self-rule in Turkey's mainly
Kurdish southeast.
Reuters
Top |
Kurd Net
does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news
information on this page
|
® 