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 Turkey confirms its troops withdrawn from Iraqi Kurdistan, says objectives achieved

 Source : AFP | Agencies 
  Kurd Net does not take credit for and is not responsible for the content of news information on this page

 


Turkey confirms its troops withdrawn from Iraqi Kurdistan, says objectives achieved  29.2.2008








Turkey will continue to "closely watch" PKK activities in northern Iraq and "will not allow threats to Turkey from this region,"

February 29, 2008


ANKARA, -- The Turkish army ended its week-old ground offensive against Turkish Kurdish PKK rebels in Iraqi Kurdistan region on Friday,
www.ekurd.net saying its forces had pulled out after achieving their objectives.

The withdrawal followed strong US pressure on its NATO ally to wrap up the incursion against the Turkey's separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), launched late on February 21.

"The objectives set at the start of the operation have been achieved and our forces... returned to their home bases as of Friday morning," a statement from the military general staff said.

At least 240 PKK militants were killed and dozens of rebel hideouts, logistics bases and ammunition depots destroyed, it said, putting the army losses at 27 men.    

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.
The PKK "was shown that northern Iraq is not a safe region for them," the statement said.

Television footage showed dozens of military trucks loaded with soldiers crossing into Turkey from the border town of Cukurca, while empty vehicles climbed mountainous roads in the opposition direction.

US President George W. Bush had urged the Turkish army on Thursday to leave Kurdistan region of northern Iraq "as quickly as possible" and Defence Secretary Robert Gates personally put pressure on Turkish leaders during a series of meetings in Ankara.

The military, however, insisted the withdrawal decision was made "under no external or internal influence."

It said some forces had already returned home before Friday "in line with the original planning."

Turkey will continue to "closely watch" PKK activities in northern Iraq and "will not allow threats to Turkey from this region," the statement said.

"The struggle against terrorism will be pursued with determination at home and abroad," it said.

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 United States, which also labels the PKK a terrorist group, supported its NATO ally during the incursion with intelligence on PKK movements.

But Washington had been concerned that a prolonged incursion could escalate into a broader conflict between Turkish forces and the Iraqi Kurds,
www.ekurd.net who run the autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq and are staunch US supporters.

Turkey has long accused Iraqi Kurdistan of providing the PKK with safe haven and weapons, and warned them not to shelter rebels fleeing the fighting. Kurdish authorities in Kurdistan region strongly reject the claim.

The most intensive air raids and ground assaults during the incursion targeted the mountainous regions of Zap and Hakurk, near the Turkish border, where the PKK has some of its largest camps.

The Qandil mountains further east along the Iraqi Kurdistan-Iranian border are also a major PKK stronghold.

The PKK has claimed to have killed around 100 soldiers, lost five and to have downed a Turkish attack helicopter during the incursion.

Ankara had repeatedly refused to commit itself to a pullout timetable.

Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul said after talks with Gates on Thursday that Turkey would remain in northern Iraq "as long as necessary."

AFP | 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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