Posted on 11/11/2004 3:43:19 PM PST by datura
| FOCUS ON TURKEY |
Turkey warns U.S. it plans to invade northern Iraq shortly after elections
ANKARA — Turkey's military has begun preparing for what officials warned could result in a major invasion of neighboring Iraq.
Officials said the Turkish General Staff has drafted plans for an invasion by at least 20,000 troops into northern Iraq in early 2005. They said the General Staff has urged approval from the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and discussed the proposed invasion with the United States.
"The current phase is to show the United States that we're serious," a Turkish government source said. "After the Iraqi elections in January, the Turkish military will be ready to move."
The military has called for a massive operation in northern Iraq to prevent Kurdish militias from controlling the area. The General Staff has been particularly alarmed by the reported Kurdish effort to drive out ethnic Turks from Kirkuk, the oil capital of northern Iraq and long claimed by Ankara.
Under the Turkish plan, the military would deploy at least 20,000 Turkish troops in an enclave south of the Iraqi-Turkish border. The force would focus on eliminating the Kurdish Workers Party and ensure the return of Turkmens to Kirkuk.
About 3,000 PKK fighters are said to be based in northern Iraq and have been sending insurgents and weaponry for attacks inside neighboring Turkey.
The United States has refused numerous Turkish appeals to eliminate the PKK strongholds.
On Oct. 14 Erdogan and his cabinet reviewed the General Staff's plan. That meeting, attended by Chief of Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, discussed the rapid deployment of up to 40,000 troops in northern Iraq.
A scaled-down version of the military plan was discussed in the national security council on Oct. 27. The officials said that over the last week some units have already been deployed along the Iraqi-Turkish border.
Officials said the General Staff has sought to prepare two army divisions to cross the Iraqi border within 18 hours of any approval of the operation.
The first goal of the ground operation, supported by fighter-jets and attack helicopters, would be to destroy PKK strongholds in the Kandil mountains in northern Iraq.
The General Staff has warned the cabinet that Ankara could no longer ignore the Kurdish threat. Officials said the military has determined that Kurds from Iran and Syria have bolstered support for the PKK.
Iranian and Syrian Kurds, they said, have participated in PKK attacks against police and military targets in southeastern Turkey over the last week.
Officials said the General Staff has sought to obtain U.S. approval for the operation in northern Iraq. But Washington has not provided implicit approval.
The Erdogan government has sought to delay any Turkish military operation until after the European Union summit on Dec. 17. The government intends to spare the EU any pretext to delay a date for accession.
Officials said the Peshmerga are digging tunnels and establishing outposts outside Dahouk, near the Turkish border.
your point?
It won't work.
Although Europeans aren't exactly fond of the American government at the moment, most of them have a pretty clear sense of the incompatibility of Islam with the Western world. Europe's governments may foolishly decide to allow Turkey into the EU, but their populations will never approve.
I don't know. Who has a stronger and better military, Turkey or Europe?
Turkey can wipe out every european army.
Regardless: the Communists amongst the Kurds must be *DESTROYED*, as with ansar-al-Islam or ANY OTHER terrorists in Iraq...
"The kurds are our only ally in iraq.. fuck turkey."
The Kurds and the PKK are not the same animal. The Kurds are caught in the middle between a moderate ME country (Turkey) and the Communist PKK. Which is precisely the way the PKK wants it (because it confuses nationalistic Kurds as to who the real enemy is). That's how the Communists operate. They sieze on pre-existing tensions and opportunistically fan them into flames. Israel understands the PKK's game plan. That's why they back Turkey's campaign to irradicate the PKK (recent tensions over the Iraq war notwithstanding).
Hypothetical, Turkey invades Iraq. Kurds and Americans fight Turks. Iran helps Turkey. All hell breaks loose.
Turkey can be the military that Europe doesn't have. Europes tough talk. Turkeys military behind them.
Hear, hear! Bravo! Standing Ovation!!!
The PKK are terrorist.
Care to explain why an "ally" would shaft us at the last minute and block our troop movements after we guarranteed them a 20 billion? Usd loan ? First off true "allies" wouldn't need to be paid off to help another ally. Basically they are not an ally they are neutral country and act on what is convenient to them in order to suit their game.
I disagree. They would not let US use thier holy land for our invasion, much less be used as a shield and sword for OLD europe. The turks are proud nation, unlike the EUnuchs.
Turkey is no longer an ally in iraq.
"The PKK are terrorist."
They are Marxist-Leninist (Communist) revolutionaries, which means they are terrorists by definition.
Holy land, Smoly land. They couldn't stand up to the muslims that surrounded them. Thats' my opinion anyway.
This isn't Turkey's concern however.
They need to back the freak off IMO.
Americans, after the Moos in Iraq are settled down, need to raise up a multi-ethnic Iraqi force to work with American assistance to finish off the stabilizing of Northern Iraq as Central, Western and Southern Iraq are being made stable.
Looks like the Kurds have a hard decission to make. Do they weed out the PKK or fight with them against turkey?
I agree, and they proved that quite obviously.
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