Turkish Military Claims it Killed 34 Kurdish Fighters in Iraq

AlterNet. Posted October 24, 2007.

Turkey Kills 34 Kurdish Fighters in Northern Iraq
Mark Tran
The Guardian UK

Turkey has carried out air sorties and shelling against Kurdish positions inside northern Iraq.

Reuters said Turkish war planes flew as deep as 13 miles into Iraqi territory and some 300 ground troops advanced about six miles, killing 34 fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers party.

"Further 'hot pursuit' raids into northern Iraq can be expected, though none have taken place so far today," a military official said, adding that all Turkish troops involved in the operations were now back in Turkey.

Officials said the sorties were small, similar to those conducted in the past across the mountainous border, not the large-scale offensive that US and Iraqi authorities are trying to avert.

Turkish troops also shelled suspected Kurdish positions across the border as recently as last night, the Associated Press reported.

The report of small-scale incursions into northern Iraq came as Turkey's civilian and military leaders met to discuss the scope and duration of a possible large-scale offensive amid mounting pressure for action.

Several newspapers printed the pictures of eight missing soldiers, allegedly held hostage by the separatist fighters. During funerals for 12 soldiers yesterday, tens of thousands of mourners chanted slogans, pushing the government to order an offensive against Kurdish fighters.

Turkey's parliament last week approved a military attack, and the prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said yesterday his country "cannot wait forever" to strike at the PKK.

The European Union today repeated its condemnation of attacks on Turkey launched by Kurdish fighters hiding across the border in Iraq, but urged Turkey and Iraq to work out joint measures to end the hostilities.

Turkey is negotiating to join the EU and the Turkish government has to consider the damage that military action could inflict on accession talks.

US officials yesterday publicly rebuked Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq for failing to curb the Kurdish fighters based in the autonomous region.

"We are not pleased with the lack of action," David Satterfield, the US state department's senior Iraq adviser, told reporters in Washington.

He said Kurdish leaders had to take responsibility for dealing with the fighters, although he did not go as far as calling on them to take military action against the PKK.

Iraq PM Orders Crackdown on PKK
Ammar Karim
Middle East Online

Iraq's prime minister ordered a crackdown Tuesday on Kurdish PKK rebels, saying Iraq will no longer tolerate the "terrorist" group on its soil, amid Turkish threats of a military incursion.

"The PKK is a bad terrorist organisation and we have taken a decision to close its offices and not allow them to work on Iraqi soil," Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said after he met visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.

"We are putting all our efforts to eliminate their terrorist activities that threaten Iraq and Turkey," said Maliki, who has been under pressure from Ankara and Washington to act against the Iraq-based rebels attacking Turkey.

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who is a Kurd, said earlier that Iraq had begun undertaking a series of measures to thwart the rebels, "including restricting their movements, (their) funding and closing of their offices".

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) largely operates clandestinely through local social groups in the three northern Iraqi Kurdish provinces of Sulaimaniyah, Arbil and Dohuk.

Maliki said he was keen to maintain healthy relations with Turkey and "an increase in political dialogue was the way….not adopting a military action" to solve the Kurdish rebel issue.

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