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Turkish troops cross into Iraqi Kurdistan
region
22.2.2008
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February
22, 2008
Silopi, Turkey, -- Turkey's military said it
had sent ground troops into semi-autonomous
Kurdistan region in 'northern Iraq' Thursday night
in an operation aimed at weakening Turkish-Kurdish
PKK militants there, the first confirmed ground
incursion since the United States invaded Iraq in
2003.
The Turkish General Staff announced the action on
its website on Friday. It gave no details of how
many troops went or how long they would stay, and
said only that they would return once goals had been
achieved. Private NTV television reported 10,000
troops were involved and said they had pushed about
six miles into Iraqi Kurdistan territory.
A Turkish analyst, commenting on NTV, said the
attack appeared aimed at dealing the Kurdish PKK
militants, the Turkey's Kurdistan Worker's Party, a
surprise blow before the snow melts and the
guerillas make their traditional spring advance into
Turkey to attack Turkish troops. The analyst said
the operation would likely last between three and
four days. |
Turkish tanks move near the southeastern
Turkish-Kurdish town of Silopi, near the Iraqi
Kurdistan region border, on Friday. |
It was not clear what, if any, role the United
States played in the incursion, which set one of its
closest allies in a troubled region, Turkey, a NATO
member that shares borders with Iran, Iraq and
Syria, against another, Iraqi Kurds, the most
important American partners in the Iraq war.
The Bush administration agreed to share information
and open airspace to the Turkish military last year
in a meeting between President George W. Bush and
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after
12 Turkish soldiers were killed in an ambush by
militants. The military began bombing in December,www.ekurd.net
in operations largely
sanctioned by the United States, but it was unclear
whether the military had sought approval for
Friday's attack.
Early reactions struck troubled tones. Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State, Matthew Bryza,
speaking in Brussels, said the incursion was "not
the greatest news," Reuters reported, and added that
"a land operation is a whole new level."
The military said on its website that troops would
"return as soon as planned goals are achieved." The
reason for the operation, it said, was to "prevent
the region from being a permanent and safe base for
the terrorists."
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in a statement
that he had called Iraqi President Jalal Talabani,
himself a Kurd,www.ekurd.net
to tell him about the
incursion, after it began on Thursday night. The
statement also that Talabani, who is a Kurd and has
never been to Turkey, largely because of the tension
between the two countries, was invited for a visit.
For decades, Turkey has fought the Kurdish rebels,
known as the PKK, a group that demands greater
autonomy for Turkey's Kurdish minority. More than
30,000 people have died in the conflict, though in
recent years, death tolls have diminished
dramatically.
Turkish analysts as well as government officials had
predicted a ground incursion before spring, but the
timing of Friday's operation was a surprise.
"Air strikes have a psychological effect, but for
ultimate success, land forces should also get
involved to pinpoint targets," said Lale
Sariibrahimoglu, a military affairs expert speaking
on NTV. We expected this to happen around March but
it seems that in efforts to harshly weaken the PKK,
the military ordered a land operation without any
delay."
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', Turkey fears this could fan separatism among its own
large Kurdish population in southeast Turkey.
Over 39,000 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. A large Turkey's
Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish
PKK rebels.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds'
identity in its constitution and of their language
as a native language along with Turkish in the
country's Kurdish areas, the party also demanded
an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and
constitution against Kurds, ranting them full
political freedoms.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by
the U.S. and the EU.
IHT | AFP
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