U.S. frees Turks seized in Iraq raid (contains interview with Turkish Captain)

Chicago Tribune ^ | 7/8/2003 | Christine Spolar and Catherine Collins

[a_Turk]

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq -- A controversial U.S. raid and detention of Turkish special forces soldiers in northern Iraq ended early Monday

- snip

In Sulaymaniyah, the senior member of the Turkish outpost, a 38-year-old captain who would only identify himself as Aydin, said he was shocked when he saw U.S. troops pounding on the iron gate of the courtyard around 2 p.m. Friday.

- snip

"I kept thinking: This is all a misunderstanding. They're attacking the wrong spot. They must think that have the Baath Party or some Islamists," Aydin said.

- snip

Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune

[a_Turk]

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[Support Free Republic]

A Recall AND a Fundraiser? I'm toast.

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[gr8eman]

I bet it is. Chicago's papers are the worst in the country.

[optimistically_conservative]

The political joint investigation is already doomed. There are only two important issues involved here:

1. Was there a military reason to round up and detain the 24 Iraqis and Turks, and how is the Turkish military leadership reacting?

2. Is the AKP going to use this incident to incite anti-Americanism and/or Islamist anger, while defanging the Turkish military leadership by seeming to defend their honor.

[MEG33]

I am sorry for the wounds to the wrist the Turkish soldier incurred. A misunderstanding between friends.

[a_Turk]

Me too. This better be bent straight with the most sober seriousness..

[MEG33]

Or?

[a_Turk]

Or two nations, who have never shot at each other, a rarity, will do so.. That would be a pity for all involved.

Or?

[MEG33]

I don't think it would come to that.

[TheBattman]

I thought the US told Turkey not to allow their troops into Iraq. So why were they there?

[a_Turk]

http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=slv1&ei=UTF-8&p=turkey+iraq+observers

[Mortimer Snavely]

On another thread about how this nightmare happened I posted:

"Probably some idiot Major getting old and worried about his career, hoping to get his name mentioned in dispatches."

Well, it was something like that, but even more outrageous. For a full bird Colonel in the US Army to make a command decision against an ally, ultimately based on boogey-man stories he had heard years ago on his grandfather's knee or at the dinner table is, quite frankly, something for which he should be stripped of his command.

[Phatheon]

Greek and Armenians should not be allowed to derail Operation Iraqi Freedom to pick up their bones with the Turks. What a pathetic statement. As if Greeks and Armenians made Turks brutalize Kurds to the point of having something to fear at the thought of an independent Kurdistan. Lame excuse. Typical though...