Turkey Launches Offensives, Iraq a Possibility

wangwei
Posts: 237 Joined: 20-09-06
Submitted by wangwei on 12 April, 2007 - 14:21.
Quote:
April 12, 2007
Turkey Launches Offensives on Rebels
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:31 a.m. ET

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkey's army chief said Thursday the military had launched several ''large scale'' offensives against rebels in the predominantly Kurdish southeast, and he asked the government for approval to launch an incursion into neighboring northern Iraq.

Washington repeatedly has cautioned Turkey against staging a cross-border offensive, fearing that it could destabilize the region and antagonize Iraqi Kurds, who are allied with the U.S.

But Iraq's government is barely able to control its own cities. U.S. commanders, who are battling the Iraqi insurgency in the middle of the country, are stretched too thin to take on Turkish Kurds hiding in remote mountains near the frontier.

On Monday, the Turkish government demanded again that U.S. and Iraqi officials crack down on guerrillas from the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Turkey-Kurds.html?pagewanted=print

Quote:
Military leader wants Turkey to enter Iraq

"An operation into Iraq is necessary," Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said, pushing for permission to raid northern Iraq to fight Kurdish guerrillas despite strong opposition from the United States and Iraq against such unilateral action.

The call raises the pressure on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to take a harder line against Kurdish guerrillas and against the Kurdish leadership in northern Iraq, where the rebels are based and train.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-04-12-turkey-iraq_N.htm

Quote:
Turkey rattles saber in row with Iraqi Kurds
Gul warns baghdad to act against pkk

Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, April 12, 2007

Turkey has the right to chase Kurdish guerrillas inside Iraq if Baghdad is not strong enough to fight them itself, Turkey's foreign minister said Wednesday as Baghdad sought to ease tensions sparked by Iraqi Kurdish threats to interfere in Ankara's affairs. "If Turkey is harmed, then its neighbors should do whatever is necessary to prevent it. If they are powerless to do so, then international laws enable" Turkish intervention, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=81354

Quote:
Turkey is especially concerned about a bid to incorporate the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk into the semiautonomous Iraqi Kurdish region, fearing that Iraqi Kurds will use revenues from the city's oil wealth to fund a bid for independence.

The Iraqi government recently decided to implement a constitutional requirement to determine the status of Kirkuk - which is disputed among several different ethnic groups - by the end of the year. The plan is expected to turn Kirkuk and its vast oil reserves over to Kurdish control, a step also rejected by many of Iraq's Arabs and ethnic Turks, who are strongly backed by the Turkish government.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/04/12/ap3605792.html

The US is in an interesting position here. I think that the US is trying to use Turkey to help police Iraq, but this is also a contradiction since the US needs the Kurds.

This is definately indicitive of something big brewing, but I'm not exactly sure what the ramifications are. Can anybody in that area of the world fill us in on what's going on?

Devrim "Enternasyonalist Komünist Sol"
Posts: 3104 Joined: 15-07-06
12 April, 2007 - 14:35
Quote:
This is definately indicitive of something big brewing, but I'm not exactly sure what the ramifications are. Can anybody in that area of the world fill us in on what's going on?

I don't think so. Essentially there is nothing new here, Turkish military offensives in the South East, and attempts to pressurise whoever is in charge in Baghdad to increase pressure on the PKK are not new phenomena.

Maybe for some reason it has hit the American media, but these sort of articles are common in the Turkish media, and have been since the US occupied Iraq.

Devrim

Devrim "Enternasyonalist Komünist Sol"
Posts: 3104 Joined: 15-07-06
12 April, 2007 - 14:44
Quote:
The US is in an interesting position here. I think that the US is trying to use Turkey to help police Iraq, but this is also a contradiction since the US needs the Kurds.

I think this is driven by Turkish, not US policy. The last thing the US wants is the Turkish army in Northern Iraq in force. America's problem is one of a balancing act as the interests of two of their allies are basically opposed (i.e. The Turkish state will not tolerate Kurdish national aspirations in Iraq). I think basically the hot air you hear coming from Ankara is only that. Turkey does not want any confrontation with America, but does want America to be more assertive in the defence of Turkish interests (i.e. suppress the PKK).

Devrim

wangwei
Posts: 237 Joined: 20-09-06
12 April, 2007 - 22:31

Thanks Dev!

I was thinking that maybe this hitting the American media can in some way be used to facilitate the US desire to invade Iran? As well as police Afghnistan and Iraq?

Could they be saying that the area is disintegrating, especially in light of the lawmakers and bridge getting blown up today, and that Turkey should send more troops to help with the area?

I just find it odd that if this is a regular occurance, like you say, then why would this incident be all over the US media, including USA today? What benefit is this to the US?

Vasak "Lost in a daydream"
Posts: 11 Joined: 11-04-07 Location: Canada, Edmonton
13 April, 2007 - 07:25

I don't know... Turkey annexing Northern Iraq, or puppetting it, could give them a bit of an economic boost... And considering they're priming to join the EU, it's possibile that they'd look better after 'pacifying' a region..? I have some theories, but I'll have to read more about the issue. Regardless of how you look at this, I'm more than a little worried... It's odd, however you're gonna slice it.

Devrim "Enternasyonalist Komünist Sol"
Posts: 3104 Joined: 15-07-06
13 April, 2007 - 07:48
wangwei wrote:
I was thinking that maybe this hitting the American media can in some way be used to facilitate the US desire to invade Iran? As well as police Afghnistan and Iraq?

Could they be saying that the area is disintegrating, especially in light of the lawmakers and bridge getting blown up today, and that Turkey should send more troops to help with the area?

I don't think that Turkish troops in Iraq would add to any 'peace keeping' process. There are Turkish troops in Lebanon, and in Afghanistan. Maybe it would be possible to have Turkish troops in other parts of Iraq, but I think the presence of Turkish troops in the North would result in a war against the PKK, and spread the chaos of the rest of Iraq to the only area of the country which is 'reasonably' peaceful.

I don't think an invasion of Iran is on the cards.

wangwei wrote:
I just find it odd that if this is a regular occurance, like you say, then why would this incident be all over the US media, including USA today? What benefit is this to the US?

I have no idea. It is not even the main story in the Turkish media at the moment (the presidential election is). Just to speculate maybe the US is taking Turkish bluster seriously, and is preparing to act against the PKK.

Vasak wrote:
I don't know... Turkey annexing Northern Iraq, or puppetting it, could give them a bit of an economic boost... And considering they're priming to join the EU, it's possibile that they'd look better after 'pacifying' a region..?

I don't see this happening at all.

Devrim

Joseph K. "the thinking man's idiot"
Posts: 8528 Joined: 14-03-06 Location: Brighton
13 April, 2007 - 07:53
Devrim wrote:
I don't think an invasion of Iran is on the cards.

me neither, this short aufheben pamphlet on Iran has just gone online discussing just that (a year old now, but still fairly current).

edit: bollocks there's a problem with the pdf not being found, i'll fix asap

Big Brother
Posts: 345 Joined: 17-01-05
13 April, 2007 - 21:54

There is a long history of Turkey making incursion into northern Iraq. I can remember a story once told by U.S. fighter pilots patrolling back in then “Northern No Fly Zone” to protect the Kurds from Saddam; he would land back from a mission to a base in Turkey, from the very same airbase Turkish Airforce would go on a sortie against the Kurds. It is nothing new, at most the Turkish Army might stay for two weeks and then pop back across their own border. The U.S. has no intention to make a noise as they need the bases for Iranian campaign, if those who can remember how difficult they made it for the U.S. to invade Northern Iraq; Turkish Government has no intention sought or unsought of giving a green light for the Kurds to establish their own Kingdom. The Turkish are running their own agenda but must be receiving something in return for allowing the U.S. and “others” to use its bases. I can only peculate it’s to keep a firm grip on Cyprus and by allowing the U.S. to base in Turkey it is fulfilling it obligation to NATO and this easing the EU pressure on Cyprus. So creating a schism the EU pressure, forcing the EU to be seen even handed between Greece and Turkey. Also there is a huge financial reward to be gained for inclusion within the economical union of the EU which can only be achieved with the perceived Union of the two countries.

Devrim "Enternasyonalist Komünist Sol"
Posts: 3104 Joined: 15-07-06
19 April, 2007 - 08:23

I have just realised where this has come from. Büyükanıt made a speech the main focus on which in Turkey was his remarks about the presidency. There were a few comments about Iraq in it, but they were passed over by the Turkish media as they were nothing new.
Devrim