The Sydney Morning Herald: Warning to Turkey on raids into Iraq - by Sebnem Arsu and Sabrina Tavernise
TURKEY took a step towards a military operation in Iraq as its political and military leaders issued a statement authorizing troops to cross the Iraqi border to eliminate separatist Kurdish rebel camps in the north. The move came in the face of strong opposition by the US, which is anxious to maintain peace in Iraq's north, one of the rare areas of stability in conflict-torn Iraq. More than two dozen Turkish soldiers have been killed in recent days, and the Government of the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appears far more determined than before to act decisively. A government official said preparations were under way to seek parliamentary approval for a border military operation, a request that would be the first formal step towards an offensive. The request could be submitted to parliament this week.
Note EU-Digest: PKK terrorists and Kurdish nationalists who have used the safe haven in Iraq to strike and kill innocent civilians in Turkey should be made aware that these acts can not go on unpunished. The US should be the first to know this, given their own retaliation policies around the world in relation to terrorists.
Labels: Iraq, Kurdish PKK terrorists, Turkey, US
