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Turkish troops withdrawing from Iraqi
Kurdistan
18.12.2007
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December
18, 2007
Erbil-Hewler, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', --
Turkish troops who crossed into Kurdistan region in
'northern Iraq' early on Tuesday have started
withdrawing, said the office of Massoud Barzani,
president of Iraq's Kurdistan government.
"They have started to withdraw back into Turkish
territory," a statement said.
The statement said around 500 Turkish soldiers
entered Kurdistan 'northern Iraq' and remained in
remote areas along the Iraq Kurdistan-Turkey border.
"There were no clashes," the statement said,
referring to some media reports that the Turkish
soldiers had clashed briefly with the peshmerga
forces of Iraqi Kurdistan region.
The Turkish incursion into Kurdistan 'northern Iraq'
came two days after Ankara's warplanes bombed
several villages along the border targeting the
rear-bases of the Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK).
The PKK is fighting for a self-rule in southeastern
Turkey and more than 37,000 people have died from
both the sides since the conflict broke out in 1984.
Iraqi Kurdistan 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',www.ekurd.net
Turkey fears this could
fan separatism among its own large Kurdish
population in southeast Turkey.
Iraq Kurdistan government
condemns Turkish incursion
The regional government of Iraq's semi-autonomous
Kurdistan region condemned a cross-border incursion
of Turkish troops on Tuesday.
"We condemn this incursion. Turkey wants to transfer
the problem onto the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan,"
said Fouad Hussein, head of the office of Kurdistan
regional President Massoud Barzani. He said he did
not know the size of the Turkish force which had
crossed the border.
AFP
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