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.
I agree with you to this point:
If we really are going to seriously to do this "Iraq" thing, and make it stick, and make Iraq a 'becon' - then the Communist Kurds must have SoFs visit them and send them onto a different portion of eternity...
That is certainly food for thought...and you just might be right.
I disagree. We need stability now, not more jihadis.
Yep...
My intelligence FRiends in Israel say 6 weeks - 6 months is a reasonable guesstimate...this holiday season was a 'best worldly possible scenario', so needless to say, be prepared for news at any moment...
FRiend, you can't have a shot at intra-regional stability with Communist terrorists holding court in the most stable region of your nation...to the contrary of all brainwashing, the Communist PKK are not a friend of America's, Iraq's, the M.E.'s nor the world. I'll grant Turkey that I'd like to eliminate the terrorist (read: mostly Kurd Commies) Communist element NOW in the area...yesterday in fact.
the kurds are our only serious ally in iraq.. f-ck turkey.
Good point, other than France, no one would vote for the Turks entering the EU if they attack Iraq.
The kurds are our only ally in iraq.. fuck turkey.
Thinking maybe Turkey is counting on an Iranian nuke to take out US forces should the US resist a Turkish invasion? Hmmmm, that might work out well for the Turks, but Iran will not like what happens to it if it ever used a nuke against us. Plus, I seriously doubt the Israelis will stand by doing nothing while Iran tosses nukes around the middle east.
Very dangerous games for the Turks.
How do you know that France, Germany (EU: Old Europe) hasn't used Turkey as a proxy in the M.E. against America and Israel this whole time; i.e., since Clinton screwed them over following GW1?
We won't stand by and watch as they enter Iraq and commence to killing Americans and Iraqis, surely they know this.
If the Communist Kurds go to battle with the Turks, I'd allow the chips to fall where they may and pop some corn.
Neither need be in Iraq...period, paragraph and end of story.
You need to be careful about the f-word here. I never hit the abuse button but I'll bet dollars to donuts that comment get pulled in the next 5 minutes.
You think too much of old europe. They could not handle the balkans.. much less the M.E.
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