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Turkey signals it's prepared to enter Iraq

By LOUIS MEIXLER, Associated Press WriterTue Jul 18, 2:25 PM ET

Turkish officials signaled Tuesday they are prepared to send the army into northern Iraq if U.S. and Iraqi forces do not take steps to combat Turkish Kurdish guerrillas there — a move that could put Turkey on a collision course with the United States.

Turkey is facing increasing domestic pressure to act after 15 soldiers, police and guards were killed fighting the guerrillas in southeastern Turkey in the past week.

"The government is really in a bind," said Seyfi Tashan, director of the Foreign Policy Institute at Bilkent University in Ankara. "On the one hand, they don't want things to break down with the United States. On the other hand, the public is crying for action."

Diplomats and experts cautioned the increasingly aggressive Turkish statements were likely aimed at calming public anger and pressing the U.S. and Iraq to act against the Turkish Kurdish guerrillas. But they also said Turkish politicians and military officers could act if nothing is done.

U.S. officials in Turkey and Washington were in contact with Turkish officials and military commanders to press them to work with Washington to combat the guerrillas and not to act alone, a Western diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.

Turkey's NTV television and Hurriyet newspaper reported the government has told the military to draw up plans for a push into northern Iraq and to advise on the possibilities such an incursion could lead to a clash with Iraqi Kurds or U.S. troops.

Any operation was unlikely before the end of August, when the current military chief of staff is replaced by an officer widely regarded as a hard-liner, NTV said.

The Western diplomat said the Turkish military long has had plans for fighting guerrillas in northern Iraq. These range from limited artillery and airstrikes on guerrilla bases, to attacks by commando forces and a broader ground offensive.

American officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, have repeatedly warned Turkey against entering northern Iraq, one of the few stable areas of the country.

U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson said Turkish, Iraqi and U.S. cooperation is a "more sensible way to go forward than perhaps to ... try to do it unilaterally."

Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan regional government in northern Iraq, appeared to be addressing Turkish concerns when he said Tuesday that Iraqi Kurds "won't allow anyone to harm our neighbors by using our territory."

But he also said the problem with the guerrillas "cannot be solved through military means alone," Turkey's DHA news agency reported.

Turkey considers the guerrillas terrorists and has refused to talk with them.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to confirm reports that the military was ordered to draft plans when he said Tuesday: "We know how to take care of (terrorism) on our own... Our competent units are making preparations and will continue to do so."

Erdogan's spokesman, Akif Beki, refused to comment, but referred to a statement Monday by government spokesman Cemil Cicek. Cicek called on Iraqi and U.S. forces to take stronger action against the rebels and warned that if they did not, "Turkey is going to use its international rights until the very end."

Officials reported no unusual military activity in the border regions.

A Turkish push into northern Iraq could also threaten relations with European Union countries, which have been pressing Turkey to improve rights for minority Kurds.

The Turkish Kurdish guerrillas are mostly based in the Qandil mountains, an area 50 miles from the Turkish border with Iran. From Iraq, the guerrillas infiltrate southeastern Turkey to stage attacks.

Turkey has long had some 2,000 troops in northern Iraq near the border monitoring the area. But if Turkey sent in military units they would have to travel through territory controlled by Iraqi Kurds.

"I don't think it is Turkey's desire to stage an intervention in northern Iraq," said Ilter Turan, professor of international relations at Istanbul Bilgi University. Turkey "is simply trying to draw attention to the fact that it is an untenable position."

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It's a fucking mess.

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I called WWIII on 9/11, yo.

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A fucking mess.

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Curse that warmonger Mohammed bin Butterball.

I wouldn't worry. The US already has an army there. They'll just bounce.

Unless...A IRA S Turkish A Tur-IRQ???

Last edited by CHiPsJr on 07-19-2006 at 05:25 AM

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We do have an army of sharks somewhere don't we?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Trenchant_Troll
LINK

I tried to tell you meatsacks a long time ago, but you didn't listen. WWIII is here. It arrived in a mismarked package, but it is here. Are ypu gonna listen this time? Does it matter if you do?

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Well, it's hard to say whether the Iraqi Kurds can be definitively blamed, though they'd certainly share the same sort of culpability that, for instance, the Lebanese government would for Hezbollah raids into Israel.

I wonder how many people who consider Israel the aggressors in Lebanon will apply the same standards to Turkey. And how many who believe Israel's justified will say the same of similar behavior by an Islamic nation.

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Turkey would be perfectly justified in so acting. The US has abjectly failed to control the Kurds (so has everyone else in history), and Turkey has been very forthright in warning that they would not tolerate an independent Kurdish state on their flank. Who can blame them?

Last edited by SimpleSimon on 07-19-2006 at 05:49 AM

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They wont do shit.

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To a greater Kurdistan!

Cheers
-m

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.

Attachment: shrooms.jpg
This has been downloaded 117 time(s).

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quote:

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Originally posted by Trenchant_Troll
WWIII is here. It arrived in a mismarked package, but it is here. Are ypu gonna listen this time? Does it matter if you do?

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It would be understandable if Turkey did such a thing, considering that they've exhausted all reasonable options for dealing with the Turkurds. Oh wait...

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It seems that the kurdish provinces of Iraq are getting mightily close to having a de-facto state.

- Reconstruction is going on at a blinding pace
- There are no arabs in the armed forces of that region. They are all kurds
- Kurdish government officials are inviting foreign oil companies in to do test drilling, independently of any policy making in baghdad.
- Kirkuk is getting a vote to decide if they want to be part of the kurdish home rule or larger Iraq.
- All treaties with turkey have been declared void, as they were the works of Saddam Hussein. This revokes turkeys legal ability to fight the PKK on Iraqi soil.

This is as close to fulfilling a 300 year old kurdish dream as they have ever been, IMHO. It it obvious that turkey is scared shitless that this newly found independence will spread beyond the Iraqi border. If (when) Kirkuk becomes part of the Kurdish home rule, that region will become an economic powerhouse (through oil) to boot. This prospect must make the Turks even more antsy.

Interesting times
-m

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U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson said Turkish, Iraqi and U.S. cooperation is a "more sensible way to go forward than perhaps to ... try to do it unilaterally."

HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA!

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Why shouldn't the Kurds have a right to a homeland?

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quote:

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Originally posted by lucidnightmare
Why shouldn't the Kurds have a right to a homeland?

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They would have to take it,just like the Kurds will.

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Government officials: Sectarian break-up of Iraq is now inevitable

Kurdistan, Sunni Iraq and Shiite (Iranian) Iraq may be a possible outcome of all this.

hm
-m

Last edited by mudded on 07-24-2006 at 03:54 PM

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quote:

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Originally posted by lucidnightmare
They would have to take it,just like the Kurds will.

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An independent Kurdistan in former northern Iraq will be an endless bloody thorn in Turkey's side. They have repeatedly publically stated that they will not tolerate such acting as an instigator to ongoing rebellion by ethnic Kurds inside Turkey. I take them at their word.

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What gives Plalestinians rights that Kurds don't have?

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Kurds already have rights that Palestinians don't have, in effect.

But, of course, some of the Palestinians are also following your 'take the land' advice.

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But some of you seem so supportive of Palestinians yet not Kurds.It just seems odd.

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