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Turkish helicopter violates Iraqi
Kurdistan airspace
26.11.2007
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November
26, 2007
Duhok, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', -- A Turkish
helicopter violated Iraq's Kurdistan region airspace
in Zakho, Duhok province, in a "reconnaissance"
mission on Sunday, an official source in the Iraqi
Kurdistan Border Guard forces said.
"The aircraft flew in the area of Kani Massi in
Zakho district, (50 km) north of Duhok for ten
minutes in a mission more likely for reconnaissance
purposes," the source, who declined to have his name
mentioned, said.
Local residents also said that they have seen the
Cobra helicopter hovering over a border checkpoint
in the area of Sir Zir, north of Kani Massi.
Turkish threats to raid Kurdistan 'northern Iraq'
toned down after a period of confrontations last
month between fighters of the Turkey's Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK), outlawed in Turkey, which
resulted in casualties on either side.
The crisis on the Iraqi Kurdistan-Turkish borders
unprecedentedly flared up after the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK), escalated operations against
Turkish forces. Fighters of the PKK, holed up in
mountainous areas in Kurdistan 'northern Iraq', had
killed, wounded and captured more than 40 Turkish
soldiers lately.
After the PKK escalations, the Turkish government
received the thumbs up from parliament to carry out
a military operation against the PKK inside Iraqi
Kurdistan region territories.
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.
More than 37,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK
guerrillas have been killed since 1984 when the PKK
took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly
Kurdish southeast of Turkey.
Duhok lies 460 km north of the Iraqi capital
Baghdad.
VOI
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