Posted on 07/28/2005 10:51:04 AM PDT by areafiftyone
LONDON; Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned on Thursday he could take action against Kurdish guerrillas in Iraq if U.S. forces did not stop the rebels infiltrating across the border into Turkey.
"At the moment, frankly speaking, we do not see the efforts by the U.S. that we expect to see. We have expressed our views to that effect to the Americans," Erdogan said in an interview with Britain's Times newspaper.
"There is a time limit. There is a limit to our tolerance," said Erdogan.
He said Turkey was within its rights under international law to defend itself from attack and drew a comparison with U.S. action against Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
"That mandate is provided for in international law," he said.
"If a country, if a people, if a nation are under threat, that country can do what is necessary under international law ... we would exercise that right in the same way as any other country could, would and did exercise that right."
Turkey has blamed the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for a rash of violence in the southeast of the country and says the guerrillas use bases in northern Iraq as a launchpad for attacks.
Despite a lull in violence after the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999, fighting has increased sharply since the group called off a unilateral ceasefire last year.
The PKK has waged an armed campaign for an independent Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey since 1984, and more than 30,000 people have been killed in the fighting.
Turkey has vowed never to negotiate with the PKK and together with the United States and the European Union brands the group as a "terrorist organization."
Ankara fears Kurds might establish an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq and that this in turn could ignite separatism among Kurds in southeastern Turkey.
U.S. forces in Iraq are heavily committed against a Sunni Arab insurgency in central areas.
The Iraqi government, which has Kurds in senior posts, says Turkey must stay out of Iraq.
Yes, except there is no such thing as international law. There are some treaties.
Could be the U.S. bases and radar/listening posts? Maybe Turkey's close ties with Israel? Perhaps their highly trained, U.S. supplied military? Or it could be that Turkey was a staunch NATO ally through 40 years of Cold War? PKK is a bunch of terrorists, they should be treated as such, screw the kurds.
The problem started when Winston Churchill screwed the Kurds.
Turkey screwing us in the spring of 2003 in order to beholden themselves to the EU no longer makes them an ally of the US. All future transactions between Turkey and the US should be carried out by the President and Congress on a unilateral basis, ie only if it is advantageous to the US.
Turkey is no longer a staunch ally of ours and should no longer receive any unwarranted US aid.
And when they tell the U.S. to remove Incirlik AB, all our radar/listening posts and nukes and tell NATO to pound sand...?
We got around Turkey's resistence during our initial offense in 2003 (albeit at some cost) and could get around without Incirlik AFB if need be.
Turkey is no longer a staunch ally, Endrogen is now playing both sides of the fence.
Blame collin powell. Sometimes it's good to let host countries know that you're planning an invasion through their territory. It had zero to do with the EU.
Erdogan is a politician. And I would rather have the Turks as allies over the kurds, PKK and Syria any time.
Right, let's trust the kurds, PKK and their syrian financers.
They want action? How many guns and how much ammo should we send the Kurds?
Just send the guns and ammo to syria, it'll have the same effect.
LOL, ex-military supporting PPK against the Turks......google PKK, their syrian ties and their love of suicide bombings. Screw the kurds.
PKK against the Turks.....sorry.
Right, let's trust the kurds, PKK and their syrian financers.
Not trusting Turkey doesn't mean we have to trust the Kurds, PKK and their Syrian financiers.
Exactly, except the corn was PKK terrorists killing Turks, tourists, and Germans. The mighty U.S. ate cornbread until 9/11.
Good point. The Turks are not our enemies, yet. I see no reason to aggravate the situation. Turks don't like suicide bombers any more than we do, letting PKK continue their jihad against Turkish civilians is asinine in the extreme. PKK needs to be shut down....now.
Turkey wants to join the EU and was willing to stand with France and Germany in defiance of our offensive on Sadaam Hussein.
That's what happened, that's why Turkey is no longer a staunch ally of the US. Turkey chose this openly.
Now Turkey needs the US once again as an ally, so they come with hands open. Just like our so-called Euroweenie "allies".
The EU will not admit Turkey, and at the rate they are going they will by Islama fascist in a few decades. anyway.
Unlike you FRiend, I lived in Turkey for years. Unlike you, I know many, many Turks. Unlike you, I worked with the U.S. military in Turkey. Unlike you, I worked with the Turkish military, in Diyarbakir, as they eradicated the PKK (financed by syria) scum that would slither from the mountains in Spring time to kill Turkish civilians. Unlike you, I happen to know that you don't want to screw with the Turks on matters of national pride and independence, which collin powell and his arrogant state department could not begin to understand. Unlike you, I know that the U.S. assured the Turks they would contain PKK after the invasion of Iraq, and thereby gained almost unlimited accesses to Incirlik and Turkish airspace, as well as areas for U.S. special forces deployment.
What a mess, if Turkey get involved in northren Iraq where is not telling what will happen next. I believe our founding father harned us about staying out of situtations like this.
Thanks. Its nice to see someone who can remember stuff that happened more than a year ago on this forum.
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