Monday, July 09, 2007
Iraq asks Turkey for more time to deal with PKK
Kurdistan
(Aljazeera article) - Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq's foreign minister, says that Turkey has amassed thousands of troops on its border and has called on Ankara to give it more time to deal with Kurdish separatists. Turkey's army has been urging the government to send troops into Iraq to combat Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters who use the region as a base for attacks.
Zebari said: "Relations with Turkey are still good but there's a huge build up in our view. Our intelligence assessment is that there's 140,000 troops and they've been there for quite some time." Baghdad and the United States have urged Ankara to show caution, and not create another military crisis in an Iraq already wracked with conflict.
"We are trying to defuse this tension," Zebari said. "We think the best thing is to revive the security working group [and address] all legitimate Turkish concerns about the PKK, the security issue and cross-border incursions." Zebari repeated that Iraq would see any Turkish military operation on its soil as an unwelcome violation of sovereignty, and insisted that it was not opposed to taking action against the PKK at the proper time.
The foreign minister also said that Iraq's armed forces are fighting on the streets of Baghdad and had no manpower to spare for a campaign against Kurdish rebels in the northern mountains. Turkey has been asked to take part in talks with Iraq and the United States to discuss the issue. However, Abdullah Gul, Turkey's foreign minister, said in June that his government had finalised a battle plan for an incursion into Iraq to pursue the PKK and that the military was waiting for the green light.
Zebari said: "Relations with Turkey are still good but there's a huge build up in our view. Our intelligence assessment is that there's 140,000 troops and they've been there for quite some time." Baghdad and the United States have urged Ankara to show caution, and not create another military crisis in an Iraq already wracked with conflict.
"We are trying to defuse this tension," Zebari said. "We think the best thing is to revive the security working group [and address] all legitimate Turkish concerns about the PKK, the security issue and cross-border incursions." Zebari repeated that Iraq would see any Turkish military operation on its soil as an unwelcome violation of sovereignty, and insisted that it was not opposed to taking action against the PKK at the proper time.
The foreign minister also said that Iraq's armed forces are fighting on the streets of Baghdad and had no manpower to spare for a campaign against Kurdish rebels in the northern mountains. Turkey has been asked to take part in talks with Iraq and the United States to discuss the issue. However, Abdullah Gul, Turkey's foreign minister, said in June that his government had finalised a battle plan for an incursion into Iraq to pursue the PKK and that the military was waiting for the green light.
Labels: Abdullah Gul, Hoshyar Zibari, PKK, Turkey
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
U.S. warns Turkey against attacking northern Iraq
Security, Region
(AFP) - The US military warned Turkey Tuesday against destabilizing northern Iraq by carrying out a threatened cross-border raid on Kurdish rebels. The US armed forces have a "great relationship with the military of Turkey," said Brigadier General Perry Wiggins, deputy director for operations of the Pentagon's Joint Staff.
But he cautioned: "As the secretary of defense (Robert Gates) has said, any disruption up in northern Iraq would not be helpful at this time." Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Friday his country had drawn up plans for an eventual incursion into neighboring northern Iraq to pursue rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) taking refuge there.
Gul warned that Turkey would activate its plans if the Iraqi authorities or the United States failed to curb the PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by both Ankara and Washington. "Unfortunately, the level of cooperation by the United States is below our expectations," he said in remarks published by the Radikal daily.
Army chief Yasar Buyukanit has long been calling for a strike against PKK rebels based in Kurdish-run northern Iraq where, Turkey says, the PKK enjoys free movement and obtains arms and explosives for attacks on its soil. But US officials, fearful of havoc in the only part of Iraq that has enjoyed relative calm, are anxious to forestall any Turkish intervention.
"We hope there is no unilateral military action taken on the other side of the Iraqi border," Gates said on June 3. On June 18, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice assured Ankara that the United States and Iraq were against any "terrorist" actions conducted from Iraqi territory against Turkey.
But he cautioned: "As the secretary of defense (Robert Gates) has said, any disruption up in northern Iraq would not be helpful at this time." Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Friday his country had drawn up plans for an eventual incursion into neighboring northern Iraq to pursue rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) taking refuge there.
Gul warned that Turkey would activate its plans if the Iraqi authorities or the United States failed to curb the PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by both Ankara and Washington. "Unfortunately, the level of cooperation by the United States is below our expectations," he said in remarks published by the Radikal daily.
Army chief Yasar Buyukanit has long been calling for a strike against PKK rebels based in Kurdish-run northern Iraq where, Turkey says, the PKK enjoys free movement and obtains arms and explosives for attacks on its soil. But US officials, fearful of havoc in the only part of Iraq that has enjoyed relative calm, are anxious to forestall any Turkish intervention.
"We hope there is no unilateral military action taken on the other side of the Iraqi border," Gates said on June 3. On June 18, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice assured Ankara that the United States and Iraq were against any "terrorist" actions conducted from Iraqi territory against Turkey.
Labels: Abdullah Gul, Brigadier General Perry Wiggins, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, PKK, Robert Gates, Turkey, U.S.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Turkey's FM warns that Ankara will move ahead with a crossborder attack on N. Iraq
Kurdistan, Turkey
(RFE/RL) - Turkey's foreign minister has warned that Ankara will carry out "detailed" plans for a crossborder attack in northern Iraq to neutralize Kurdish rebels if U.S. or Iraqi forces don't do the job. The "Radikal" newspaper today quoted Abdullah Gul as saying his government "knows these plans and agrees with them." Washington, a NATO ally which like Ankara regards the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as a terrorist group, has urged Turkey not to enter northern Iraq.
Labels: Abdullah Gul, northern Iraq, PKK, Turkey
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Iraq urges to Turkey to persue diplomatic means in PKK issue
Security, Turkey
(Reuters) - Iraq urged its northern neighbour Turkey on Sunday to pursue diplomatic means as it attempts stop armed Kurdish separatists operating out of northern Iraq. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih told reporters after meeting with a Turkish delegation in Baghdad that Iraq would not accept a breach of its sovereignty.
"We spoke about what are perceived to be security threats to Turkey coming from Iraqi territory. We emphasised the need of dealing with the perceived threats based on established channels between the governments of Iraq and Turkey," he said. Turkish envoy Oguz Celikkol said a number of issues had been discussed, including Ankara's growing anger at recent violence it blames on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The Turkish rebel group has thousands of fighters in the mountains of northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
"Iraq is our neighbour and what happens here is important to us. We aren't here to discuss one matter but all the matters that concern the two countries," he said. Last month Turkey's armed forces chief called for a military operation into Iraq to quash PKK rebels, but Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday that parliament had no current intention to approve military action.
Last Tuesday, a suicide bomber killed six people in Ankara but the PKK denied involvement. A day later six soldiers were killed when their vehicle was blown up by a landmine believed to have been planted by the guerrillas. More than 30,000 people, most of them Kurds, have been killed since the PKK took up arms to fight for a Kurdish homeland in Turkey in 1984.
"We spoke about what are perceived to be security threats to Turkey coming from Iraqi territory. We emphasised the need of dealing with the perceived threats based on established channels between the governments of Iraq and Turkey," he said. Turkish envoy Oguz Celikkol said a number of issues had been discussed, including Ankara's growing anger at recent violence it blames on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The Turkish rebel group has thousands of fighters in the mountains of northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.
"Iraq is our neighbour and what happens here is important to us. We aren't here to discuss one matter but all the matters that concern the two countries," he said. Last month Turkey's armed forces chief called for a military operation into Iraq to quash PKK rebels, but Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday that parliament had no current intention to approve military action.
Last Tuesday, a suicide bomber killed six people in Ankara but the PKK denied involvement. A day later six soldiers were killed when their vehicle was blown up by a landmine believed to have been planted by the guerrillas. More than 30,000 people, most of them Kurds, have been killed since the PKK took up arms to fight for a Kurdish homeland in Turkey in 1984.
Labels: Abdullah Gul, Barham Salih, Oguz Celikkol, PKK, Turkey
Friday, March 23, 2007
Turkey ready to hit back at PKK if U.S. doesn't act
Security, Politics, Region
(The Guardian) - The US is scrambling to head off a "disastrous" Turkish military intervention in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq that threatens to derail the Baghdad security surge and open up a third front in the battle to save Iraq from disintegration. Senior Bush administration officials have assured Turkey in recent days that US forces will increase efforts to root out Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) guerrillas enjoying safe haven in the Qandil mountains, on the Iraq-Iran-Turkey border.
But Abdullah Gul, Turkey's foreign minister, MPs, military chiefs and diplomats say up to 3,800 PKK fighters are preparing for attacks in south-east Turkey - and Turkey is ready to hit back if the Americans fail to act. Turkish sources said "hot pursuit" special forces operations in Khaftanin and Qanimasi, northern Iraq, were already under way. Murat Karayilan, a PKK leader, said this week that a "mad war" was in prospect unless Ankara backed off.
The firm Turkish belief that the US is playing a double game in northern Iraq is destabilising the relationship between Turkey and the U.S. Officials say the CIA is covertly funding and arming the PKK's sister organisation, the Iran-based Kurdistan Free Life party, to destabilise the Iranian government. Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state, said last week that the US was acting to assuage Turkish concerns. "We are committed to eliminating the threat of PKK terrorism in northern Iraq," he said.
General Joseph Ralston, the US special envoy dealing with the PKK issue, was less upbeat, admitting that "the potential for Turkish cross-border action" was growing. "We have reached a critical point in which the pressure of continued [PKK] attacks has placed immense public pressure upon the government of Turkey to take some military action. As the snows melt in the mountain passes, we will see if the PKK renews its attacks and how the Turkish government responds ... I hope the Turks will continue to stand by us."
But Abdullah Gul, Turkey's foreign minister, MPs, military chiefs and diplomats say up to 3,800 PKK fighters are preparing for attacks in south-east Turkey - and Turkey is ready to hit back if the Americans fail to act. Turkish sources said "hot pursuit" special forces operations in Khaftanin and Qanimasi, northern Iraq, were already under way. Murat Karayilan, a PKK leader, said this week that a "mad war" was in prospect unless Ankara backed off.
The firm Turkish belief that the US is playing a double game in northern Iraq is destabilising the relationship between Turkey and the U.S. Officials say the CIA is covertly funding and arming the PKK's sister organisation, the Iran-based Kurdistan Free Life party, to destabilise the Iranian government. Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state, said last week that the US was acting to assuage Turkish concerns. "We are committed to eliminating the threat of PKK terrorism in northern Iraq," he said.
General Joseph Ralston, the US special envoy dealing with the PKK issue, was less upbeat, admitting that "the potential for Turkish cross-border action" was growing. "We have reached a critical point in which the pressure of continued [PKK] attacks has placed immense public pressure upon the government of Turkey to take some military action. As the snows melt in the mountain passes, we will see if the PKK renews its attacks and how the Turkish government responds ... I hope the Turks will continue to stand by us."
Labels: Abdullah Gul, General Joseph Ralston, Kurdistan, Murat Karayilan, PKK, Qandil mountains, Turkey, U.S.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Gul accuses Barzani of 'irresponsible' statement
Security, Politics, Kurdistan, Turkey
(RFE/RL) Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul labeled remarks by Kurdistan Region President Mas'ud Barzani "irresponsible," the Anatolia news agency reported on February 27. Barzani told NTV Online in an interview published on February 26 that "Iran and Turkey should get used to the idea that the Kurds have a right" to their own independent state. "It is impossible for us [Kurds] to accept a cross-border operation or to remain a spectator in such an operation. We put emphasis on the sovereignty of our country as much as Turkey puts emphasis on its sovereignty, and we safeguard our sovereignty," the Kurdish leader said when asked about the possibility of Turkish military intervention in Iraq against the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants holed up in the mountainous area along the border.
In response, Gul told reporters: "While the region, and especially Iraq, has been passing through a critical period, and while Turkey is following a constructive and embracing policy, making such statements are examples of irresponsibility." Turkish political leaders have called for possible talks with Iraqi Kurdish leaders in recent days, while Turkey's military leadership has threatened military intervention in Iraq.
Labels: Abdullah Gul, Kurdistan, Mas'ud Barzani, Turkey
