Posted on 02/18/2008 10:07:21 AM PST by maquiladora
ANKARA, Turkey, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- The Turkish military said it is setting the ground work for a large-scale ground invasion into northern Iraq targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party.
The military said the ground operation is the final strike against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by its Kurdish language initials of PKK. The operation follows airstrikes on the group in late 2007 and military officials said the operation is scheduled for mid-March, the English language Turkish daily, Today's Zaman said Monday.
Military sources told the newspaper that the operation would be on two fronts; one along the Turkish border with Iraq and one inside Turkey in its southeastern provinces.
Israel gave the Turkish military unmanned surveillance drones that military officials said will provide key intelligence about PKK activity.
The Turkish military deployed about 50,000 troops along the border with Iraq and the newspaper said military officials will keep the same amount of troops in the region for the March operations.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.
Is this another NATO operation!
The US bamboozled again.
They are going after the PKK not the Kurdish Regional Government -- which doesn't even control the mountain areas occupied by the PKK.
US, Turkey discuss cooperation against PKK
How was Washington bamboozled?
I should have said the American people bamboozled again.
Your RIDICULOUS statements about Turkey’s motivations boggles the mind. Are you on the Turk payroll?
Muslims killing Muslims,
I’m finding it hard to see a downside here
They’re Communist Muslims to boot! Talk about a strange marriage of beliefs.
Why can't we get our State Department to list Mexican drug cartels terrorist organizations and go kick some butt???
No. I had several enjoyable years working with Turks here and in Ankara; ditto the people I met in Ankara away from work.
Also, IMO Ataturk reformed Islam in Turkey. He did in fact create a Western-based secular democratic republic.
RE: "RIDICULOUS statements" and "Turkeys motivations"
There is no question that Turkey is watching the events in Iraq vis-a-vis "Kurdistan." That is not the same as the PKK.
Ignoring the PKK incursions into Turkey and the killings of Turks simply cannot be supported by a rational person.
If your dispute with Turkey is the Ottoman Turk's Armenian genocide and you hope to stir our government to action against the modern state of the Republic of Turkey.. well, we got enough trouble. How about taking your dispute over there? But OTOH, I do of course respect your freedom to express your opinions.
My concern is those here in the U.S. who are trying to stir up trouble between Turkey and the U.S. in order to benefit a foreign country.
Let them have Iraq, the whole bloody mess!!!!
As for Kemal Mustafa’s “reform” of Islam-—yours is a pathetic misunderstanding of that. The genocides under the Kemalist regime surpass even the horrors of their per fascist periods. They emulate the Stalinist period and Mustafa’s sympathies lay with the reds from the beginning.
HINT for you: belly dancing and baklava does not make for a serious relationship.
Mull that over
I promise to mull over my pathetic misunderstandings. Honest. :)
So should the title also say Turkey to invade Turkey?
But seriesly hasn't this stuff been going on even back in the Saddam days. Minor stuff it appears to be.
Happening now. Major action.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.