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Turkey planning new military incursion
into Iraqi Kurdistan: PKK
27.4.2008
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April
27, 2008
SULAIMANIYAH, Kurdistan region 'Iraq', —
Turkey is planning a new military incursion into
Kurdistan region in 'northern Iraq' targeting
Kurdish PKK rebels, a spokesman for the guerrillas
said, adding that warplanes also launched an air
raid on Saturday.
"We have information that new (Turkish) troops are
being gathered along the border," said Ahmed Danis,
spokesman for the Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK).
"We expect Turkish troops to launch a new incursion
into northern Iraq. The PKK is ready to confront any
Turkish aggression."
Danis said Turkish aircraft launched a raid early on
Saturday in the Khwarkuk district along the border
with Turkey,www.ekurd.net
the second such attack
in two days.
The raid lasted for an hour from 6:00 am (0300 GMT),
Danis said.
The Turkish general staff said on its website the
raid targeted PKK rebels in the Zap, Avashin and
Khakurk regions.
"All planes returned to base safely after
successfully executing their mission," it added.
Turkish forces have intensified operations
against Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) since
December with air raids. In February, 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, where Ankara estimates more than
2,000 militants take refuge.
Turkish forces withdrew
from semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in 'northern
Iraq' on February 29, only a day after US President
George W. Bush
urged Ankara to
quickly wrap up the incursion and Defense Secretary
Robert Gates personally
put pressure on
Turkish leaders during a visit to Ankara.
The Turkish government has a one-year parliamentary
authorisation, expiring in October, to launch
cross-border raids.
The United States has backed military action against
the rebels by providing Turkey with real-time
intelligence on PKK movements.
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
Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the
blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which
overturned a decision
to place the Kurdish rebel
group PKK and its political wing on
the European Union's terror list.
Copyright, respective author or news agency, 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 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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