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.
We need to make it quite clear to the Turks that any attempted Turkish invasion will be seen as an act of war against the United States of America, as we have troops in action in Iraq, which will be repulsed with whatever means are necessary, including -- TaDum -- National Strategic Means. In short, a serious attempt to invade Iraq by the Turkish military could well mean there is no more Turkish military in the Eastern half of the country. We should probably get all of our people out of Turkey (including the major airbase at Incirlik) real quick now, and make it real clear to the Turks we're in deadly earnest about using national strategic means on them. Actually, I think that if we popped some NSM on the Iranian nuclear sites to help them celebrate New Year's Eve, it might jolt some sense into the Turks.
The problem is that the people at the NSC still have Civ 2.
Turkey simply wants to expand the borders of Turkish Occupied Kurdistan (TOK) and make sure the Kurds never are able to unite and do what the Palestinians are trying to do, create their own nation.
But they won't move on this one if they're smart. They had a window of opportunity to help and it's now shut. Turkish troops killing American troops, and that would be inevitable, would be a foreign policy disaster. But their new government has not displayed a particularly sound grasp of geopolitics to date, so anything's possible.
"What should the US do, shoot them when they come across the border?"
Kill them!
Well, this should prove interesting . . . and will complicate the h*ll out of the whole situation in Turkey. I agree with the poster's analysis that the Kurds have proven to be loyal fighters for America and we will have little choice but join them in fighting the Turks if they insist on taking this action.
(Sarcastic, rhetorical) Question: Has Ankara gotten Kofi Annan's official okey-dokey for this invasion? Has the UNSC sat around their rock lobster and bottles of water in an impoverished, drought-stricken African nation scratching their heads for months proclaiming "What to do? What to do?"
This is beyond madness. We have bailed Turkey out to the tune of BILLIONS of U.S.$ already- their economy was about to bottom out. Their decision not to let us come through the north into Iraq puts them in a they-owe-us position.
I don't believe it.
There's an old English saying, "Big boast, small roast."
You are 100% correct - with the addition that Turkey would love to have the oil reserves associated with Kirkuk.
LOL
"If Turkey is an EU member, do we declare war on France?"
Not a bad idea!
Under international law, we are required to defend the territorial integrity of Iraq.
This move would be extremely bad for the Turks.
I like your rhetorical question! LOL
We all know that Coughing Anus will do anything he can to complicate our lives.
I believe this one has promise:
http://www.supremeruler2010.com/
One word - MOAB.
Yes.
I doubt this report too. They may put a little pressure on to by moving some troops to push negotiations but I can't see them attacking.
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