Thursday, July 19, 2007
Iraq protests shelling of N. Iraq by Turkey
Region
(Reuters) - Turkey's army heavily shelled Kurdish rebel targets just inside the border of northern Iraq on Wednesday, Kurdish officials said on Thursday. Iraq's government condemned the latest shelling of its semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and urged Turkey to hold talks to resolve Ankara's concerns about rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who are based in the border area.
Jabar Yawer, deputy minister for security forces in Iraq's Kurdistan, said about 100 shells were fired around the town of Zakho in northern Iraq. No one was hurt but many residents were forced to flee, he told Reuters.
The barrage followed the killing of three Turkish soldiers when their vehicle hit a rebel landmine near the border with Iraq, he said.
Iraqi Kurdish officials said they were not aware of Turkish war planes carrying out bombing raids on Wednesday although some witnesses said they saw a plane bomb a mountain top. Turkey, which never comments on reports it has carried out such military action, accuses PKK militants of using bases in the mountains of northern Iraq to strike at its forces.
The Iraqi government, without specifying dates, said it "regrets Turkish military operations that are using artillery and war planes to bomb Iraqi border villages and cities in Dahuk province". "The Iraqi government calls on Turkey to stop these operations to return to dialogue and understanding," the statement said.
The Turkish army has raised troop levels in the country's restive southeast to 200,000, security sources say. It refuses to rule out the possibility of a cross-border operation. Rumors of a possible Turkish incursion into neighboring, mainly Kurdish, northern Iraq have rattled financial markets and have drawn warnings from the United States, Ankara's NATO ally, to stay out.
The Turkish troop movements have come before a bitterly contested campaign for Turkish parliamentary elections on Sunday which has triggered an upsurge in nationalism and could strengthen those who demand stronger action against the PKK. Washington fears any major operation by Turkey in northern Iraq could stoke wider conflict in a relatively peaceful region of the war-torn country.
Jabar Yawer, deputy minister for security forces in Iraq's Kurdistan, said about 100 shells were fired around the town of Zakho in northern Iraq. No one was hurt but many residents were forced to flee, he told Reuters.
The barrage followed the killing of three Turkish soldiers when their vehicle hit a rebel landmine near the border with Iraq, he said.
Iraqi Kurdish officials said they were not aware of Turkish war planes carrying out bombing raids on Wednesday although some witnesses said they saw a plane bomb a mountain top. Turkey, which never comments on reports it has carried out such military action, accuses PKK militants of using bases in the mountains of northern Iraq to strike at its forces.
The Iraqi government, without specifying dates, said it "regrets Turkish military operations that are using artillery and war planes to bomb Iraqi border villages and cities in Dahuk province". "The Iraqi government calls on Turkey to stop these operations to return to dialogue and understanding," the statement said.
The Turkish army has raised troop levels in the country's restive southeast to 200,000, security sources say. It refuses to rule out the possibility of a cross-border operation. Rumors of a possible Turkish incursion into neighboring, mainly Kurdish, northern Iraq have rattled financial markets and have drawn warnings from the United States, Ankara's NATO ally, to stay out.
The Turkish troop movements have come before a bitterly contested campaign for Turkish parliamentary elections on Sunday which has triggered an upsurge in nationalism and could strengthen those who demand stronger action against the PKK. Washington fears any major operation by Turkey in northern Iraq could stoke wider conflict in a relatively peaceful region of the war-torn country.
Labels: Jabar Yawer, northern Iraq, PKK, Turkey, Zakhu
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Name of Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces Changed
Kurdistan
(PUK Media) - Jabar Yawer, the official spokesman for the Kurdistan Region Guard Forces, held a news conference at the Peshmerga Forces Ministry office in Erbil, the Capital of Kurdistan Region, on Sunday. During the conference, Yawer declared that after a visit of the delegation of KRG chaired by PM Nechirvan Barzani to Baghdad and their meeting with the officials of Iraqi Federal Government, UK and US Embassies, it has been decided to transfer the tasks of Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces to Kurdistan Region Guard Forces.
Yawar also stated that after a delegation of the Iraqi Federal Government visited Kurdistan Region and after their meeting with the military officials of Kurdistan and on attendance of a Multi-National Forces' delegation they reached an agreement on several points including organizing and cooperation between Kurdistan Region Guard Forces and the Iraqi Army Forces, their number ,and their condition, allocating a budget to the Kurdistan Region Guard Forces by the Iraqi Government .
The agreement was signed by the President of Kurdistan Region and by the Iraqi PM in Baghdad. "After the agreement Kurdistan Region Guard Forces will not be a part of the Iraqi Army, but would only belong to the Kurdistan Region and will be under the supervision of Ministry of Peshmerga Forces. The General Commander of Kurdistan Region Guard Forces will be the President of Kurdistan Region.
The Deputy Commanderof Kurdistan Region Guard Forces will be the deputy of Kurdistan Region's President," Yawar added. "We also agreed that the Multi-National Forces, as they train the Iraqi Army Forces, will train the Kurdistan Region Guard Forces. The recruitment in the Kurdistan Region Guard Forces, like the system in Iraqi Army Forces, to be voluntary and after this agreement the condition of the Kurdistan Region Guard Forces will be better than before," Yawer said as well.
Labels: Jabar Yawer, Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces, Kurdistan Region Guard Forces, Ministry of Peshmerga Forces
