Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Turkish parliament may approve sending troops into n. Iraq
Region
(Al Jazeera) - Turkish government has agreed to ask parliament to approve sending troops into northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish separatist fighters. The motion, which is expected to be approved by MPs on Wednesday, would provide the legal basis for cross-border military action against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) during the next year. "Our wish is that we will not have to use this motion ... but the most painful reality of our country, our region, is the reality of terror," Cemil Cicek, government spokesman, said after a cabinet meeting on Monday.
He stressed that Turkey's sole target, if its troops entered northern Iraq, would be the estimated 3,000 PKK fighters believed to be in the region. The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, twice acquired similar authorisations from parliament in 2003, but did not act on them. In response, Baghdad urged Turkey to be "patient" and not to resort to military action. "The Iraqi government calls on the Turkish government to pursue a diplomatic solution and not a military solution to solve the [problem] of terrorist attacks which our dear neighbour Turkey has witnessed from the PKK," Ali al-Dabbagh, Iraqi government spokesman, said.
He stressed that Turkey's sole target, if its troops entered northern Iraq, would be the estimated 3,000 PKK fighters believed to be in the region. The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, twice acquired similar authorisations from parliament in 2003, but did not act on them. In response, Baghdad urged Turkey to be "patient" and not to resort to military action. "The Iraqi government calls on the Turkish government to pursue a diplomatic solution and not a military solution to solve the [problem] of terrorist attacks which our dear neighbour Turkey has witnessed from the PKK," Ali al-Dabbagh, Iraqi government spokesman, said.
Ahead of the cabinet's decision, a senior Turkish general said that it was too early to discuss the timing or size of a possible incursion."If this duty is assigned to us, we will look at the scale on which it will be carried out. It is not possible to say this right now," General Ergin Saygun, deputy chief of the general staff, said. Ankara says the PKK uses bases in northern Iraq to launch attacks inside Turkey, the latest of which killed 15 soldiers last week. Saygun dismissed suggestions that Nato's second-biggest army had only a limited window of opportunity to attack before winter conditions made such a move impossible.
"The season would be taken into consideration, and other needs as well .... But we cannot say that we'll go to Iraq if it doesn't snow or we won't go if it does," he said. Duran Kalkan, a senior commander in the PKK, said that the Turkish military would suffer a serious blow if it launched such an offensive. According to the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency, he said that Turkey would "be bogged down in a quagmire" in northern Iraq. Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid in northern Iraq said on Monday that the situation along the border was quite calm. "There was a night of intense shelling along the border on Saturday but for the last 24 hours it has been calm," she said.
"We all have an interest in a stable Iraq and a desire to see the PKK brought to justice" Gordon Johndroe, White House spokesman"We have been travelling backwards and forwards along the border and we have seen some minimal troops movements on the other side. "US officials said last week that there are about 60,000 Turkish troops along the country's southern border with Iraq, but the US military has not seen activity to suggest an imminent offensive.
"The season would be taken into consideration, and other needs as well .... But we cannot say that we'll go to Iraq if it doesn't snow or we won't go if it does," he said. Duran Kalkan, a senior commander in the PKK, said that the Turkish military would suffer a serious blow if it launched such an offensive. According to the pro-Kurdish Firat news agency, he said that Turkey would "be bogged down in a quagmire" in northern Iraq. Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid in northern Iraq said on Monday that the situation along the border was quite calm. "There was a night of intense shelling along the border on Saturday but for the last 24 hours it has been calm," she said.
"We all have an interest in a stable Iraq and a desire to see the PKK brought to justice" Gordon Johndroe, White House spokesman"We have been travelling backwards and forwards along the border and we have seen some minimal troops movements on the other side. "US officials said last week that there are about 60,000 Turkish troops along the country's southern border with Iraq, but the US military has not seen activity to suggest an imminent offensive.
On Monday, the US repeated its call for the Turkish military to refrain from crossing the border. "We all have an interest in a stable Iraq and a desire to see the PKK brought to justice," Gordon Johndroe, White House spokesman, said. "But we urge the Turks to continue their discussions with us and the Iraqis and to show restraint from any potentially destabilising actions."'
However, Erdogan had already said that international pressure would not deter Ankara. "The cost has already been calculated," he said. Ankara has also long complained that Washington has not done enough on its own or through the Iraqi government to crack down on the Kurdish separatists. The PKK, which is labelled as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, began an independence struggle in Turkey in 1984 that has left more than 37,000 people dead. Turkey and Iraq last month signed an accord pledging to combat the group, but failed to agree on a clause allowing Turkish troops to carry out "hot pursuit" operations against rebels fleeing into Iraqi territory, as they did regularly in the 1990s.
Labels: Ali al-Dabbagh, Cemil Cicek, Duran Kalkan, General Ergin Saygun, northern Iraq, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey
Oil prices hit new high as fears grow over Kurdish-Turkish conflict
Oil, Region
(The Guardian) - Oil prices burst through $86 a barrel to reach new highs yesterday on the back of growing energy demand forecasts and fears that escalating conflict between Turkey and Kurds in northern Iraq could hit supplies in the Mediterranean. Crude ended at a record level on Friday but has since gone on to hit even greater peaks of $86.13 as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) said demand for its products would average 31.43m barrels a day in the fourth quarter of 2007, up 100,000 barrels a day on previous estimates.
"It now appears more likely that the US economy could weather the financial crisis without a sharp downturn in economic activity," said a report by Opec economists at the group's Vienna headquarters. Soaring oil prices helped push gold to a 28-year high yesterday as investors were attracted to precious metals because of global uncertainty and the falling dollar. Platinum also swept to record highs on concerns about supply as demand remains strong.
Expectations of higher oil demand have also fed into Opec's first quarter estimates with the organisation predicting there would be 120,000 more barrels needed a day than had been anticipated.
The new forecasts come amid rising fears that Turkey will take unilateral action against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. "The main risk to supplies is currently on an escalation of the Turkish army, Kurdish militia conflict, where we believe the risk for disruptions to the Mediterranean supplies would be real," said Olivier Jakob of Petromix in Switzerland.
The market is already jumpy because last week the International Energy Agency, adviser to 26 industrialised nations such as Britain and the US, predicted that demand would surge by 2.1m barrels a day during 2008. Opec insists "the current supply and demand forecasts predict that the market will be fundamentally balanced over the coming quarters".
"It now appears more likely that the US economy could weather the financial crisis without a sharp downturn in economic activity," said a report by Opec economists at the group's Vienna headquarters. Soaring oil prices helped push gold to a 28-year high yesterday as investors were attracted to precious metals because of global uncertainty and the falling dollar. Platinum also swept to record highs on concerns about supply as demand remains strong.
Expectations of higher oil demand have also fed into Opec's first quarter estimates with the organisation predicting there would be 120,000 more barrels needed a day than had been anticipated.
The new forecasts come amid rising fears that Turkey will take unilateral action against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. "The main risk to supplies is currently on an escalation of the Turkish army, Kurdish militia conflict, where we believe the risk for disruptions to the Mediterranean supplies would be real," said Olivier Jakob of Petromix in Switzerland.
The market is already jumpy because last week the International Energy Agency, adviser to 26 industrialised nations such as Britain and the US, predicted that demand would surge by 2.1m barrels a day during 2008. Opec insists "the current supply and demand forecasts predict that the market will be fundamentally balanced over the coming quarters".
Labels: Kurdistan, northern Iraq, oil, oil prices, OPEC, Petromix, PKK, Turkey
Friday, October 12, 2007
Turkish parliament may approve govt request on Iraq campaign
Region
(AP) - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey would not be deterred by the possible consequences of invading Iraq if it decides to stage a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels.
"If such an option is chosen, whatever its price, it will be paid," Erdogan told reporters in response to a question about international repercussions of such a decision, which would strain ties with the United States and Iraq. "There could be pros and cons of such a decision, but what is important is our country's interests."
A Turkish soldier was killed by a mine Thursday night on Mt. Gabar in southeastern Sirnak province, where 13 soldiers have been ambushed and killed over the past week, local authorities said. "We are making necessary preparations to be ready in case we decide on a cross-border operations since we don't have patience to lose more time," Erdogan said, adding that Turkey lost 30 people in rebel attacks over the past two weeks.
Erdogan said Turkey has long been seeking the cooperation of Iraq and the United States but there has been no crackdown on the rebel group of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in Iraq. "If there are terrorists sheltering and attacking Turkey from Iraqi soil and if they don't do anything then we should do something," Erdogan said.
The Turkish parliament was expected to approve a government request to authorize an Iraq campaign as early as next week, after a holiday ending the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. But that does not mean a risky incursion will follow at once. Turkey might give diplomacy, and perhaps economic pressure, more time to work even as public enthusiasm for a military mission mounts.
"If such an option is chosen, whatever its price, it will be paid," Erdogan told reporters in response to a question about international repercussions of such a decision, which would strain ties with the United States and Iraq. "There could be pros and cons of such a decision, but what is important is our country's interests."
A Turkish soldier was killed by a mine Thursday night on Mt. Gabar in southeastern Sirnak province, where 13 soldiers have been ambushed and killed over the past week, local authorities said. "We are making necessary preparations to be ready in case we decide on a cross-border operations since we don't have patience to lose more time," Erdogan said, adding that Turkey lost 30 people in rebel attacks over the past two weeks.
Erdogan said Turkey has long been seeking the cooperation of Iraq and the United States but there has been no crackdown on the rebel group of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in Iraq. "If there are terrorists sheltering and attacking Turkey from Iraqi soil and if they don't do anything then we should do something," Erdogan said.
The Turkish parliament was expected to approve a government request to authorize an Iraq campaign as early as next week, after a holiday ending the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. But that does not mean a risky incursion will follow at once. Turkey might give diplomacy, and perhaps economic pressure, more time to work even as public enthusiasm for a military mission mounts.
Labels: northern Iraq, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Turkey prepares for possible incursion into northern Iraq
Region
(Al Jazeera) - Turkey is preparing for a possible incursion into northern Iraq as the government says it is willing to take all necessary measures against Kurdish separatists it suspects of hiding there. The decision by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, follows a series of deadly attacks by the rebel PKK group on Turkish security forces.
"To put an end to the terrorist organisation operating in the neighbouring country [Iraq], the order has been given to take every kind of measure, legal, economic, political, including also a cross-border operation if necessary," Erdogan's office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Kurdish rebels have killed 15 soldiers in separate attacks in the past two days. There is increasing anger in the country over the rebels' ability to find refuge in neighbouring Iraq. The military said on Sunday it had shelled an area near Iraq to try to stop PKK members from escaping across the border after an attack in the southeast province of Sirnak that killed 13 soldiers. However, residents in northern Iraq claim the Turkish shelling is landing well within their territory. Kurdish farmers displayed craters on Tuesday they said were left by artillery shells that hit close to the border.
Ankara has not confirmed any shelling of Iraqi territory. Local officials in the Iraqi Kurdish-run northern region, feared the shelling was a sign of more to come. In the city of Arbil, 350km north of Baghdad, the Kurdish governor warned Turkey on Tuesday that its troops would sustain heavy losses if they began operations in the region.
"To put an end to the terrorist organisation operating in the neighbouring country [Iraq], the order has been given to take every kind of measure, legal, economic, political, including also a cross-border operation if necessary," Erdogan's office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Kurdish rebels have killed 15 soldiers in separate attacks in the past two days. There is increasing anger in the country over the rebels' ability to find refuge in neighbouring Iraq. The military said on Sunday it had shelled an area near Iraq to try to stop PKK members from escaping across the border after an attack in the southeast province of Sirnak that killed 13 soldiers. However, residents in northern Iraq claim the Turkish shelling is landing well within their territory. Kurdish farmers displayed craters on Tuesday they said were left by artillery shells that hit close to the border.
Ankara has not confirmed any shelling of Iraqi territory. Local officials in the Iraqi Kurdish-run northern region, feared the shelling was a sign of more to come. In the city of Arbil, 350km north of Baghdad, the Kurdish governor warned Turkey on Tuesday that its troops would sustain heavy losses if they began operations in the region.
Nozad Hadi, the region's governor, said: "If the Turkish troops decided to enter into the Iraq's Kurdistan territories, their decision would be wrong and they would sustain heavy casualties and material losses." Turkey's parliament would have to authorise any large-scale military operation into Iraq, but troops could pursue rebels over the border in smaller, so-called "hot pursuit" operations without such authorisation.
The US said it supported Turkey and Iraq in their efforts to combat the PKK but warned against military incursions from Ankara. Al Jazeera's Yusuf Sharif in Ankara says Turkey is unlikely to send troops into its neighbour in the near future given that it is due to host a regional conference next month with Iraqi representatives among the attendees. Sharif also said that the government in Baghdad wants time for a recent security agreement signed with Turkey to take effect.
Yusuf Kanli from the Turkish Daily News said while there was public pressure on the Erdogan government to show it was able to deal effectively with PKK rebels it needed to differentiate between the group and the wider Kurdish issue. "You can not end this kind of terrorism through military action, there are other factors to consider such as political, and social elements that intermingle," he told Al Jazeera. "But Turkey can not in any way ignore the need to provide security for its country. They have to differentiate between PKK and the Kurdish problem."
Labels: northern Iraq, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Sirnak province, Turkey
Monday, October 08, 2007
Kurdish rebels kill Turkish soldiers
Region
(AP) - Kurdish rebels killed 13 Turkish soldiers Sunday in a clash in the country's southeast, and troops responded by shelling an area near Iraq to try to stop the rebels from escaping across the border, the military said. Turkey has been pressing Iraq and the United States to hit the bases of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq, and has considered a unilateral military operation across the border to root out the rebels.
The soldiers were killed in the southeastern province of Sirnak, not far from where troops and rebels clashed two days earlier, according to a statement on the military's Web site. An operation to track down the rebels was under way, and troops shelled areas near the border to try to prevent rebels from reaching their bases in northern Iraq, the statement said.
The clash "boosted our determination and strength" to fight terrorism, the military said. Abdul-Rahman al-Chadarchi, a spokesman for the Kurdish rebel group, confirmed the attack and said the rebel fighters sustained no casualties. Kurdish rebels have been staging attacks on Turkey from their bases in northern Iraq. But the U.S. opposes any military move into Iraq by Turkey.
Turkey's military on Sunday designated 27 "security zones" off limits to civilians in eastern and southeastern regions where the borders with Iraq and Iran converge. Starting Tuesday, the zones will be in place until Dec. 10. The military imposed similar zones earlier in June in three southeastern provinces to keep civilians away from the fighting with the PKK. Some experts have speculated that the zones are part of preparations for a possible Iraq campaign.
The soldiers were killed in the southeastern province of Sirnak, not far from where troops and rebels clashed two days earlier, according to a statement on the military's Web site. An operation to track down the rebels was under way, and troops shelled areas near the border to try to prevent rebels from reaching their bases in northern Iraq, the statement said.
The clash "boosted our determination and strength" to fight terrorism, the military said. Abdul-Rahman al-Chadarchi, a spokesman for the Kurdish rebel group, confirmed the attack and said the rebel fighters sustained no casualties. Kurdish rebels have been staging attacks on Turkey from their bases in northern Iraq. But the U.S. opposes any military move into Iraq by Turkey.
Turkey's military on Sunday designated 27 "security zones" off limits to civilians in eastern and southeastern regions where the borders with Iraq and Iran converge. Starting Tuesday, the zones will be in place until Dec. 10. The military imposed similar zones earlier in June in three southeastern provinces to keep civilians away from the fighting with the PKK. Some experts have speculated that the zones are part of preparations for a possible Iraq campaign.
Labels: Abdul-Rahman al-Chadarchi, northern Iraq, PKK, Sirnak province, Turkey
Monday, September 17, 2007
WHO - cholera cases in Iraq continue to rise
Health
(AP) -- The number of suspected cholera cases in northern Iraq continues to rise, with 16,000 people now showing symptoms, the World Health Organization said Friday. As of Sept. 10, 6,000 have been reported with symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting in the province of Sulaimaniyah, another 7,000 in Tamim province, and 3,000 in Irbil province, the WHO said in a statement.
To date 10 people have died and 844 cases of the disease have been confirmed, the WHO said. Earlier in the week, regional authorities reported 11,000 people with symptoms, 700 confirmed cases and 10 deaths. Cholera is a gastrointestinal disease that is typically spread by drinking contaminated water and can cause severe diarrhea that in extreme cases can lead to fatal dehydration. It broke out in mid-August and has so far been limited to northern Iraq.
The WHO reported earlier this week that all public water supply systems in the affected districts have been chlorinated by provincial authorities in an attempt to stop the disease from spreading further.
To date 10 people have died and 844 cases of the disease have been confirmed, the WHO said. Earlier in the week, regional authorities reported 11,000 people with symptoms, 700 confirmed cases and 10 deaths. Cholera is a gastrointestinal disease that is typically spread by drinking contaminated water and can cause severe diarrhea that in extreme cases can lead to fatal dehydration. It broke out in mid-August and has so far been limited to northern Iraq.
The WHO reported earlier this week that all public water supply systems in the affected districts have been chlorinated by provincial authorities in an attempt to stop the disease from spreading further.
Labels: cholera, Irbil, northern Iraq, Sulaimaniyah, Tamim, WHO
Thursday, September 06, 2007
26,000 U.S. and Iraq forces go on offensive in n. Iraq
Security
(CNN) -- About 26,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces are taking part in an offensive against al Qaeda in Iraq in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Iraqis gather at the site of a U.S. airstrike on Baghdad Thursday. Residents said people were killed in their sleep. The operation, Lightning Hammer II, is an extension of an earlier operation in Diyala province.
About 14,000 Iraqi security forces stationed throughout Nineveh province and 12,000 U.S. soldiers are conducting the operation, which started Wednesday evening. The military said the operation "follows Lightning Hammer I ... to deny al Qaeda safe haven in the provinces" of Salaheddin, Nineveh, Diyala, and Kirkuk.
The military said the original Operation Lightning Hammer -- August 13 to September 1 -- ousted militants from the Diyala River valley, northeast of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province. "Al Qaeda cells were driven from Baquba in Diyala due to Operation Arrowhead Ripper in June and July and then pursued in the Diyala River valley during Operation Lighting Hammer in August," Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Task Force Lightning and Multinational Division-North.
About 14,000 Iraqi security forces stationed throughout Nineveh province and 12,000 U.S. soldiers are conducting the operation, which started Wednesday evening. The military said the operation "follows Lightning Hammer I ... to deny al Qaeda safe haven in the provinces" of Salaheddin, Nineveh, Diyala, and Kirkuk.
The military said the original Operation Lightning Hammer -- August 13 to September 1 -- ousted militants from the Diyala River valley, northeast of Baquba, the capital of Diyala province. "Al Qaeda cells were driven from Baquba in Diyala due to Operation Arrowhead Ripper in June and July and then pursued in the Diyala River valley during Operation Lighting Hammer in August," Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Task Force Lightning and Multinational Division-North.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Iraqi forces, Lightning Hammer II, northern Iraq, U.S. forces
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Iraqi govt demands Iran stops shelling northern Iraq
Region
(Reuters) -- Iraq's government on Tuesday demanded Iran stop shelling Kurdish areas inside Iraq's northeastern border, warning that relations would be hurt, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said. Iraqi Kurdish officials have complained about cross-border shelling from neighbouring Iran since the middle of the month.
Cross-border skirmishes occasionally occur as Iraq's neighbours Turkey and Iran combat Kurdish separatist rebels operating from bases in Iraq's mountainous northern region of Kurdistan. Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Haj Hamoud summoned the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday to protest about the shelling, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The deputy foreign minister demanded the Iranian side immediately cease these attacks," the statement said.
"The affair would affect negatively the good neighbourly relationship between the two countries." The government in Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdistan region said on Tuesday that 450 families from 20 villages along the border had been evacuated because of shelling.
The Iraqi side of the border area is believed to be home to Kurdish PJAK militants seeking autonomy for Kurdish regions of Iran. There has been no official comment from Tehran about the shelling.
Cross-border skirmishes occasionally occur as Iraq's neighbours Turkey and Iran combat Kurdish separatist rebels operating from bases in Iraq's mountainous northern region of Kurdistan. Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Haj Hamoud summoned the Iranian ambassador on Tuesday to protest about the shelling, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The deputy foreign minister demanded the Iranian side immediately cease these attacks," the statement said.
"The affair would affect negatively the good neighbourly relationship between the two countries." The government in Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdistan region said on Tuesday that 450 families from 20 villages along the border had been evacuated because of shelling.
The Iraqi side of the border area is believed to be home to Kurdish PJAK militants seeking autonomy for Kurdish regions of Iran. There has been no official comment from Tehran about the shelling.
Labels: Iran, Iraqi government, Mohammed al-Haj Hamoud, northern Iraq, PJAK
U.N. reports cholera outbreak in northern Iraq
Health
(CNN) -- More than 2,000 Iraqis in the northern part of the country have contracted cholera, U.N. officials say, citing local authorities. The outbreak of the potentially deadly disease is thought to be the result of poor water quality, the U.N. officials said. "Local authorities report that over 2,000 people have been affected so far by the outbreak, with five deaths reported and 500 patients admitted to hospital with severe diarrhea within the last two days alone," the U.N. Children's Fund, or UNICEF, said on Wednesday.
Forty-seven cases have been confirmed as epidemic cholera, but the number is expected to grow, said UNICEF, which has rushed emergency aid to the affected area. The outbreak has hit the Sulaimaniya province and the nearby Kirkuk region in northern Iraq. "Although the outbreak is largely affecting adults, children are at extremely high risk," UNICEF said.
Cholera is a bacterial ailment that affects the intestinal tract. The disease is contracted by consuming contaminated water. The outbreak is being attributed to "serious problems with water quality and sewage treatment" -- an assessment repeated by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq. Only 30 percent of the population in Sulaimaniya has an adequate water supply, according to local reports, and "many people have been reduced to digging shallow wells outside their own homes," UNICEF said.
UNICEF is urging families to make sure children stay away from areas contaminated with raw sewage, wash their hands with soap and drink only water that has been purified or boiled. UNICEF is providing material such as oral rehydration salts and safe water kits. "If the epidemic spreads, there will be an urgent need for additional support," UNICEF said.
Forty-seven cases have been confirmed as epidemic cholera, but the number is expected to grow, said UNICEF, which has rushed emergency aid to the affected area. The outbreak has hit the Sulaimaniya province and the nearby Kirkuk region in northern Iraq. "Although the outbreak is largely affecting adults, children are at extremely high risk," UNICEF said.
Cholera is a bacterial ailment that affects the intestinal tract. The disease is contracted by consuming contaminated water. The outbreak is being attributed to "serious problems with water quality and sewage treatment" -- an assessment repeated by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq. Only 30 percent of the population in Sulaimaniya has an adequate water supply, according to local reports, and "many people have been reduced to digging shallow wells outside their own homes," UNICEF said.
UNICEF is urging families to make sure children stay away from areas contaminated with raw sewage, wash their hands with soap and drink only water that has been purified or boiled. UNICEF is providing material such as oral rehydration salts and safe water kits. "If the epidemic spreads, there will be an urgent need for additional support," UNICEF said.
Labels: cholera, epidemic, Kirkuk, northern Iraq, Sulaimaniya province, UNAMI, UNICEF
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
14 U.S. soldiers killed in helicopter crash
Security
(AP) - A helicopter crashed in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing all 14 U.S. soldiers aboard, the military said. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was carrying four crew members and 10 passengers when it went down during a nighttime operation, according to a statement. The military said initial indications showed the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem and there were no indications of hostile fire, but the cause was still under investigation. The 14 soldiers killed were assigned to Task Force Lightning, the military said.
Labels: helicopter, northern Iraq, Task Force Lightning, U.S. soldiers, UH-60 Black Hawk
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Turkish forces cross 1 km. over border into southern Kurdistan
Regional
(PUKmedia) - After we published news of deployment of nearly 300-350 thousands of a special Turkish commando force into Kurdistan Region territories in Zakho district near Turkish frontier, PUKmedia got private information stating that the Turkish force crossed the Iraqi border along 1 km and deployed in Sari Spi area which locates behind the villages of Bitkari and Spindari, north east of Zakho town, towards Jali district of the Turkish province of Hakari.
The sources said that the Turkish commandos force was deploying from time to time in the above-mentioned area during the past years particularly in Summer, stressing that these deployments of those forces are in frame work of the Turkish military concentrations’ on the Kurdistan Region borders and the threats which the Turkish leaders launched about conducting a military operation by the Turkish army.
Worth mentioning the Turkish artillery continuously shells the border areas in Zakho town; their claim is the existence of PKK elements there. Some Media also denied news of the incursion into the Iraqi territories; we reassure that the Turkish forces crossed the international borders by 1 km.
Labels: northern Iraq, PKK, Sari Spi, Turkish forces, Zakho district
Monday, July 23, 2007
PKK leader readies troops as he believes Turkey will attack
Regional
(AP) -- The commander of Iraq-based Kurdish rebels said he believed Turkey will quickly follow its parliamentary elections Sunday with a long-anticipated offensive against his remote mountain bases. Murat Karayilan, the leader of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, warned that his fighters were prepared for battle, but denied Ankara's charges that his group was using Iraqi soil to launch attacks against Turkish forces across the border.
"The date of the Turkish offensive has drawn near," Karayilan told The Associated Press in an interview Friday at his base in the remote northern Iraqi village of Lewzhe. "We are ready to confront it and to defend ourselves. The Turkish army cannot move with ease in this mountainous terrain." Turkey has been fighting PKK rebels since 1984 in a war that has killed tens of thousands.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose party won a new mandate Sunday, has threatened to stage an incursion into northern Iraq if post-election talks with Iraq and the United States fail to produce effective measures against the Kurdish guerrillas. Erdogan told jubilant supporters in a victory speech in Ankara that: "In our struggle against separatist terrorists, we are determined to take every step at the right time."
Opposition parties have criticized his ruling party for not showing determination to stage an incursion, a move that could seriously strain ties with Iraq and Turkey's NATO ally, the United States. The United States, facing problems elsewhere in Iraq, opposes such a move, but Turkey, frustrated by escalating rebel violence, says Washington has reneged on promises to help it fight terrorism.
Karayilan said that the autonomous Kurdish government in Iraq was not supporting his group. He described his group's bases in northern Iraq as primarily political indoctrination centers. An AP reporter, however, saw PKK guerrillas training on the use of light arms and doing endurance drills in full combat gear as he made his way to Lewzhe.
"The date of the Turkish offensive has drawn near," Karayilan told The Associated Press in an interview Friday at his base in the remote northern Iraqi village of Lewzhe. "We are ready to confront it and to defend ourselves. The Turkish army cannot move with ease in this mountainous terrain." Turkey has been fighting PKK rebels since 1984 in a war that has killed tens of thousands.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose party won a new mandate Sunday, has threatened to stage an incursion into northern Iraq if post-election talks with Iraq and the United States fail to produce effective measures against the Kurdish guerrillas. Erdogan told jubilant supporters in a victory speech in Ankara that: "In our struggle against separatist terrorists, we are determined to take every step at the right time."
Opposition parties have criticized his ruling party for not showing determination to stage an incursion, a move that could seriously strain ties with Iraq and Turkey's NATO ally, the United States. The United States, facing problems elsewhere in Iraq, opposes such a move, but Turkey, frustrated by escalating rebel violence, says Washington has reneged on promises to help it fight terrorism.
Karayilan said that the autonomous Kurdish government in Iraq was not supporting his group. He described his group's bases in northern Iraq as primarily political indoctrination centers. An AP reporter, however, saw PKK guerrillas training on the use of light arms and doing endurance drills in full combat gear as he made his way to Lewzhe.
Labels: Lewzhe, Murat Karayilan, northern Iraq, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey
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
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
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Head of Turkish army reaffirms N. Iraq incursion
Kurdistan, Turkey
(Reuters) - The head of Turkey's powerful armed forces reaffirmed on Wednesday his view that a cross-border operation into northern Iraq was needed to crush Kurdish rebels based there. His comments pile more pressure on Turkey's government to allow a military operation, just weeks before parliamentary polls in which security and terrorism issues will loom large.
The staunchly secular military dislikes the Islamist-rooted ruling AK Party and political analysts say the generals are trying to portray it as weak on terrorism. AK, which denies any Islamist agenda, is widely expected to win re-election in July.
"I have said (in April) that we need a cross-border operation and that this would bring benefits. I repeat this view now," General Yasar Buyukanit told a news conference shown live on Turkish television. But he stressed the need to act within the law in tackling the security threat.
Turkey's parliament, now in recess ahead of the July 22 elections, would have to reconvene to authorize any serious cross-border military operation. "We have to conduct our fight on a legal basis. We cannot go beyond the laws," he said in Isparta, southwest Turkey. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters last week that Ankara would take military action if necessary.
The staunchly secular military dislikes the Islamist-rooted ruling AK Party and political analysts say the generals are trying to portray it as weak on terrorism. AK, which denies any Islamist agenda, is widely expected to win re-election in July.
"I have said (in April) that we need a cross-border operation and that this would bring benefits. I repeat this view now," General Yasar Buyukanit told a news conference shown live on Turkish television. But he stressed the need to act within the law in tackling the security threat.
Turkey's parliament, now in recess ahead of the July 22 elections, would have to reconvene to authorize any serious cross-border military operation. "We have to conduct our fight on a legal basis. We cannot go beyond the laws," he said in Isparta, southwest Turkey. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters last week that Ankara would take military action if necessary.
Labels: AK Party, General Yasar Buyukanit, incursion, northern Iraq, PKK, Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey
Thursday, June 07, 2007
New Military Forces On Iraqi-Turkish Border
Region, Security
(Mashriq Newspaper) - 6 JUN - Yesterday, Turkey sent more military troops and tanks to their border with Iraq in a situation that a Turkish newspaper described as preparations against Kurdish insurgents in northern Iraq. CNN Turkish media said that forty tanks being transported by truck left the Turkish Army bases in Ankara and moved to Baatman Governorate on the Iraqi / Turkish border. They added that the transfer of these forces were simultaneous with a Turkish military operation against the PKK in southeast Turkey near the Iraq border. Turkey has started search operations supported by helicopters and artillery in the areas near the Iraqi / Turkish border in an effort to eradicate the PKK members and prevent them from infiltrating into Turkey.
Labels: Baatman Governorate, northern Iraq, PKK, tanks, Turkey
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Turkey says no present plans to attack northern Iraq
Region
(Reuters) - Turkey said on Wednesday it had no plans at present to send troops into northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels there, but it indicated this remained an option in the future. Media speculation is high of a possible cross-border operation against rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which uses mainly Kurdish northern Iraq as a base from which to launch attacks in Turkey.
Parliament, now in recess ahead of July 22 elections, would have to reconvene to authorise any military operation beyond Turkey's borders. Asked if the Foreign Ministry was readying documents for such a move, spokesman Levent Bilman told a news conference: "At this time there is no work on such an authorisation, but Turkey is ready for anything at any time."
The Turkish army has said its big buildup of troops and tanks near the border with Iraq is a routine seasonal operation intended to combat PKK rebels inside Turkey or trying to enter. On Monday, European Union officials visiting Ankara said they had discussed the media reports with their hosts but said Turkey gave no indication that an operation was being planned.
The United States and Iraq have both urged Turkey not to send troops, saying the problem could be best resolved by diplomatic means. They fear military action could destabilise the most peaceful and prosperous region of war-ravaged Iraq.
Bilman told the weekly news conference Ankara was not opposed to talks with Iraqi Kurdish authorities, but said they must show they are taking concrete steps against the PKK. "Turkey is not a country that has ever excluded dialogue. We need positive signals in order to be able to take steps on a dialogue. This means the launch of serious action against the PKK," Bilman said.
Turkey is furious with U.S. and Iraqi authorities for failing to crack down on the estimated 4,000 PKK rebels in northern Iraq. Ankara blames the PKK for the deaths of more than 30,000 people in Turkey since the group launched its armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in the impoverished southeast region in 1984.
Parliament, now in recess ahead of July 22 elections, would have to reconvene to authorise any military operation beyond Turkey's borders. Asked if the Foreign Ministry was readying documents for such a move, spokesman Levent Bilman told a news conference: "At this time there is no work on such an authorisation, but Turkey is ready for anything at any time."
The Turkish army has said its big buildup of troops and tanks near the border with Iraq is a routine seasonal operation intended to combat PKK rebels inside Turkey or trying to enter. On Monday, European Union officials visiting Ankara said they had discussed the media reports with their hosts but said Turkey gave no indication that an operation was being planned.
The United States and Iraq have both urged Turkey not to send troops, saying the problem could be best resolved by diplomatic means. They fear military action could destabilise the most peaceful and prosperous region of war-ravaged Iraq.
Bilman told the weekly news conference Ankara was not opposed to talks with Iraqi Kurdish authorities, but said they must show they are taking concrete steps against the PKK. "Turkey is not a country that has ever excluded dialogue. We need positive signals in order to be able to take steps on a dialogue. This means the launch of serious action against the PKK," Bilman said.
Turkey is furious with U.S. and Iraqi authorities for failing to crack down on the estimated 4,000 PKK rebels in northern Iraq. Ankara blames the PKK for the deaths of more than 30,000 people in Turkey since the group launched its armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in the impoverished southeast region in 1984.
Labels: Levent Bilman, northern Iraq, PKK, Turkey
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Maliki supports Assyrian request for own province
Security, Minorities
(AINA) - Assyrian Christians in Iraq have made a formal request for a Province of their own inside the war-torn country, and many see this as the only way to persuade thousands of refugees outside the country to return. The Assyrian Province, under the same legal framework as neighboring Kurdistan, is seen as a key to bring the Northern part of Iraq into stability.
In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview in Tokyo for ANS with Ken Joseph Jr., Iraqi President Nouri al Malaki affirmed the Assyrian Christians' right to have a Province of their own, which could be provided for under the Iraqi Constitution. Malaki said: "I have a bias towards the Assyrian Christians. They are the indigenous people of our country and our most nationalist and good people."
He added: "We want them to be inside the country and active and able to retake their rights. We will do all we can to help them. At the same time, if they feel they need an area, a province of their own as the Constitution provides, I support this fully."
In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview in Tokyo for ANS with Ken Joseph Jr., Iraqi President Nouri al Malaki affirmed the Assyrian Christians' right to have a Province of their own, which could be provided for under the Iraqi Constitution. Malaki said: "I have a bias towards the Assyrian Christians. They are the indigenous people of our country and our most nationalist and good people."
He added: "We want them to be inside the country and active and able to retake their rights. We will do all we can to help them. At the same time, if they feel they need an area, a province of their own as the Constitution provides, I support this fully."
Reacting to large numbers of refugees in neighboring countries, Malaki said: "We do not consider them refugees. They are displaced, and we are doing all we can to create a situation where they can return. They are our responsibility and we do not need help from others to take them in -- they will return home."
Malaki was addressing questions concerning the minorities, many of whom are in neighboring, countries including an estimated nearly 500,000 Assyrian Christians. During the interview, Malaki appeared upbeat about the future of his country in contrast to the daily bad news coming out of Iraq.
Malaki was addressing questions concerning the minorities, many of whom are in neighboring, countries including an estimated nearly 500,000 Assyrian Christians. During the interview, Malaki appeared upbeat about the future of his country in contrast to the daily bad news coming out of Iraq.
Labels: Assyrian province, Assyrians, constitution, northern Iraq, Nouri Al-Maliki
Friday, April 20, 2007
Petro-Gulf to assist in building $130 mn oil refinery
Oil, Business
(IRAQdirectory) - The Kuwaiti Gulf Company for Petroleum Investment (Petro-Gulf) said on Saturday that it intends to assist in building an oil refinery at an investment of $ 130 million in northern Iraq with two others partners. According to a statement published on the Kuwaiti bourse web site on the Internet, the Company said that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Turkish group Chokorova to build a refinery with the capacity of 20 thousand barrels a day within other oil projects.
The statement also mentioned that the other partner is the Company of Taqat which is a contributor in Petro-Gulf Company. The statement added that the refinery is expected to be ready for operation within a year and a half. Petro-Gulf Company, which works in the oil fields business such as drilling operations and engineering operations of the upstream and downstream activities, will own 10% in the refinery project.
Labels: Chokorova, northern Iraq, oil refinery, Petro-Gulf, Taqat
