Turkish General says fighting Iraqi armed forces a possibility

Left: A Turkish soldier stands guard in front of a tank loaded onto a military truck at the border with Iraq on Tuesday.

Turkish troops could find themselves fighting Iraqi forces that control northern Iraq if they launch a crossborder operation to strike at Turkish Kurd rebels based there, Turkey’s top general said May 31.

The chief of general staff, General Yasar Buyukanit, said he favored an incursion into northern Iraq to clean up Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases there, but said the order to do so must come from the government.

“The political authorities must determine whether, once we go in (to northern Iraq), we act only against the PKK or if something will happen with Barzani as well,” he said, referring to Massud Barzani, who heads the Kurdish autonomous region’s government.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an international military symposium at the War Academy here.

Read the rest at Defense News

Related Link:
Turkish General: Army prepared to attack in Iraq

Related Link:
Dispute over raising Kurdish flag as U.S. hands over control of 3 provinces to Kurds

Related Link:
Turkish army build-up fuels anxiety on Iraq border

Related Link:
Turkish PM Erdogan: 'We expect the United States and Iraq to destroy' PKK bases

Related Link:
Iraq urges Turkey to resolve PKK issue politically

Related Link:
Turkish government says it would back military in any offensive in northern Iraq

Related Link:
Report: Turkish tanks carry out exercises at Iraq border

Related Link:
Analysis: The Turkish military weighs in

Related Link:
Turkey, Iraq bypass Kurds in oil deal

Related Link:
Analysis: The temperature rises in Kirkuk

Related Link:
Opinion (David Ignatius): A New Threat In Iraq

Related Link:
Perspective: A waiting game in the mountains

Related Link:
Turkish general pushes for cross-border incursion into Iraq

Related Link:
Turkish Prime Minister warns Kurd President Barzani 'price... will be very high' if threats carried out

Related Link:
Kurd President Barzani: Kurds will 'intervene' in Turkey if it interferes in Kirkuk referendum

Related Link:
Maliki accepts resignation of Justice minister

Related Link:
Cabinet endorses forced repatriation of tens of thousands of Arabs from Kirkuk; Justice minister offers resignation in protest

Related Link:
Envoy: U.S. may has not ruled out military action against Kurdish rebels

Related Link:
Perspective: Iraqi Kurds fear a new war

Related Link:
Turkish general reasserts right to cross border to chase rebels in north Iraq

Related Link:
Perspective: Kurdish militia has the run of oil-rich Kirkuk

Related Link:
Turkey Wants Kirkuk Referendum Delayed

Related Link:
Arabs protest in Kirkuk over forced 'repatriation'

Related Link:
Iranian military threatens to cross into Iraq to pursue Kurdish fighters

Related Link:
Perspective: In northern Iraq, another war looms

Related Link:
Turkey's military, government clash over Iraq, Kurds

Related Link:
Perspective: Turkey weighs cross-border attack on PKK in Iraq

Related Link:
Perspective: From Iraqi mountains, Kurds train for battle with Iran

Related Link:
Perspective: Will Turkey attack in Iraq?

Related Link:
Turkish opposition leader: would back military action against Kurdish guerrillas in Iraq

Related Link:
Perspective: Oil-rich Kirkuk's ethnic time-bomb could explode at any time

Related Link:
Analysis: Iraq is already enduring two wars. Could it survive a third?

Related Link:
Analysis: Kurds Show Signs of Seceding From Iraq (10-08-06)

Related Link:
Analysis: As Kurd and Arab clashes surge, a third war is looming in Iraq (10-03-06)

Related Link:
Kurd leader again threatens secession, this time over oil (10-03-06)

Related Link:
Turkey raises concern over Kurdish flag issue in Iraq (09-06-06)

Related Link:
U.S. rebukes Iraq's Kurds over flag row (09-05-06)

Related Link:
In flag dispute Kurd leader threatens succession from Iraq (09-03-06)