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Turkey 'ends offensive' in Iraqi Kurdistan
region, but no full withdrawal has begun
29.2.2008
Update 2
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Turkey pulling some troops out of Iraqi Kurdistan
February 29, 2008
ANKARA, -- Turkey has ended its cross-border
offensive against Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels in
Iraqi Kurdistan region and already begun withdrawing
troops, the Turkish NTV news channel reported
Friday.
There was no immediate official confirmation of the
report, which said the incursion, launched just over
a week ago, had ended at midnight Thursday.
Some Turkish troops have returned to bases in Turkey
after completing their mission in Iraqi Kurdistan,www.ekurd.net
but no full withdrawal
has begun, a senior Turkish military source said on
Friday.
Turkey has come under growing US and Iraqi pressure
in recent days to withdraw from Kurdistan region,
amid concerns that its military operation might
escalate into a broader conflict with Turkish
Kurdish PKK group.
Many empty military vehicles were seen passing
through the Turkish border town of Cukurca, heading
towards Iraqi Kurdistan -- presumably to pick up
soldiers -- said NTV, which is one of Turkey's
largest private television channels. |
Turkish soldiers prepare for a patrol on a road near
the Turkey-Iraq border in the mainly Kurdish
southeastern province of Sirnak on February 28.
Turkey has ended its cross-border offensive against
Kurdish PKK rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan region and
already begun withdrawing troops, the Turkish NTV
news channel has reported. |
Turkish warplanes bombed positions of the Turkey's
rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Kurdistan
'northern Iraq' overnight, but the situation was
quiet on the ground Friday morning, it added.
Turkish troops rolled into northern Iraq on February
21 to crack down on estimated 4,000 PKK rebels,www.ekurd.net
who have long taken
refuge in the region and used it as a springboard
for attacks across the border as part of their
separatist campaign for self-rule in southeast
Turkey.
US pressure on Turkey to wrap up the operation
mounted Thursday as President George W. Bush said
its forces should pull out "as quickly as possible"
and Defence Secretary Robert Gates personally
conveyed the US message to Turkish leaders in a
series of talks in Ankara.
The incursion should be "limited and... temporary in
nature," Bush said in Washington.
The Turkish military should "move quickly, achieve
their objective and then get out... as quickly as
possible," he added.
Ankara on Thursday had refused to commit itself to a
pullout timetable.
"Turkey will remain in northern Iraq as long as
necessary" and the troops will return home once PKK
hideouts are destroyed, Turkish Defence Minister
Vecdi Gonul said after talks with Gates.
Army chief Yasar Buyuklanit said: "A short time is a
relative term. Sometimes this can mean one day and
sometimes one year."
The Turkish army says its has killed at least 237
militants and destroyed dozens of PKK hideouts,
logistical bases and ammunition depots.
It has put its losses at 27 men.
The PKK claims to have killed around 100 soldiers,
lost five and to have downed a Turkish attack
helicopter.
Thousands of Turkish troops, backed by tanks,
attack helicopters and warplanes,
crossed into Kurdistan region in northern
Iraq on February 21 in an operation which Ankara said was aimed at Turkey's Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas and their bases.
Iraqi Kurdistan politician says, Turkey is using
Turkey's Kurdish separatist PKK rebel group (Kurdish
freedom fighters) 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.
Turkey has never, and still does not, recognize the
Iraqi 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.
The core of Turkey's "Kurdish problem" is not the
PKK. It is Turkey's denial of basic political and
cultural rights to its Kurds.
Analysts believe the Turkish raids inside Iraqi
Kurdistan region had a secondary purpose of
discouraging a referendum on Kirkuk city. Ankara
fears that if the oil-rich Kirkuk joins Kurdistan,
the Kurds will have the economic foundation they
need for an independent state.
Turks are also fearful of the autonomy the northern
Iraqi Kurdistan region enjoys with its own flag,
institutions and even oil exploitation contracts
with overseas companies.
Since 1984 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.
AFP | Reuters | Agencies
**
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, a
large Turkey's Kurdish community 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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