Turkish Army goes on high alert, KDP offers to enter Kirkuk with the Turks

Hurriyet ^ | 4/11/2003 | N/A

[a_Turk]

The General Staff of Turkey has given the Turkish Armed Forces the "operation pre-start" command, which is the highest level of alert preceding the "operation start."

All leaves were canceled. Commanders were asked to do one last inspection of their groups and report. Starting today, border troops will operate on a 24 hour basis. Commanders will not be able to leave their posts. All personell and their equipment will remain at a 24 hour level of readiness.

If Talabani won't leave, we'll enter with the Turks

Following the entry of Talabani's PUK forces into the city of Kirkuk, the KDP deputy prime minister and foreign ministers called the Turkish foreign ministry and stated that "If necessary, we're prepared to act with the Turks."

According to sources, upon the PUK incursion into Kirkuk, KDP leader Barzani first contacted PUK leader Talabani and stated: "Let's not draw Turkish wrath upon ourselves. Exit Kirkuk." Following the telephone conversation, Barzani called Turkish foreign minister Gul and offered his assurances, by stating that he felt discomfort by the situation.

Foreign minister Gul confirmend these reports in an interview with NTV. He stated that the forces which entered Kirkuk were Talabani's PUK forces, and that KDP leader Barzani had telephoned Ankara stating that the situation in Kirkuk was unacceptable to the KDP. Gull then sent a message to Talabani using the "still incomplete" US/Turk/Irak joint operations center in Silopi.

The US and Turkey have a written agreement governing the terms of the future of Mosul and Kirkuk, signed on March 19, 2003 by US representative Khalilzad.

[a_Turk]

My, my..

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[GraniteStateConservative]

We said we'd make the Kurds (even the less organized para-military groups) leave Kirkuk and we have to back it up-- by force if necessary.

[a_Turk]

Good luck. They're in Mosul now, stealing ambulances..

Civilians in Turkey are thinking that the looting is sanctioned by the US.. Reasonable speculation, but maybe not true..

[MEG33]

Turkey has no business in Iraq.

[ccc_jr]

lets get finally a real ally in the region ....

give the kurds their freedom

[a_Turk]

>> lets get finally a real ally in the region

LOL! Yeah.. You work on that. Start with looters.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Yes, a nice big U.S. airbase in a new, semi-autonomus Khurdish region would be great. The Turks have earned no reward.

[Dog Gone]

It would have been a lot easier to control those cities if we had significant numbers of troops there. But one of our NATO allies in the region wouldn't allow that as I recall.

It's going to take a little time to restore order in Kirkuk and Mosul. The regime's police department no longer exists.

[TheBattman]

How are the Kurds any less deserving than any other ethinic group of their own State/country? At least in this case, they have fought for the Right side.

I still believe that they deserve thier own state carved out of the Kurdish section of Iraq. They shouldn't get any Turkish land.

[a_Turk]

>> It would have been a lot easier to control those cities if we had significant numbers of troops there.

Ain't that the truth. Combined we'd have had 120,000 troops there, and none of this would have been an issue.

Rats!

[Dog Gone]

I still believe that they deserve thier own state carved out of the Kurdish section of Iraq.

Definitely not. We need the Kurds to be a vital force in the new Iraq.

[SCWard]

"Yes, a nice big U.S. airbase in a new, semi-autonomus Khurdish region would be great. The Turks have earned no reward."

The Turks may have been an ally, sometime in the past, but lately, they have earned only a good old fashioned Yankee ass-kicking.

They keep fooling around, harrassing the Kurds,
they'll get it.

[zip]

Turkey has no business in Iraq.

After screwing us and causing severe hardship for our troops, they have no business dealling with the US. Let them go cry on France's shoulder.

[BobinIL]

The Turkish army will need to go on super high alert when the 4th ID gets up there because that is a bunch of ticked of boys that missed out on the big game because of Turkey. Turkey can take its rightful place in Europe with France and Germany. We need to relocate our bases from Germany to Poland and From Turkey to KURDISTAN!!

[dalebert]

Turkey was the one who failed to let us put troops up there and now they are worried. What business is it of the Turks what happens in Iraq? Iraq does not belong to them.

[the Deejay]

"What business is it of the Turks what happens in Iraq? Iraq does not belong to them."

Exactly! The Turkeys can get stuffed!! (Pun intended.)