Iraq Foreign Minister: 140,000 Turkish troops massed on Iraq border

Above: Turkish armored vehicles move towards the border at the beginning of the buildup in May. Left: A woman holds a protest sign with the picture of a slain Turkish soldier during an anti-PKK protest in Turkey on July 1.

BAGHDAD: Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border with northern Iraq but so far there has been no violations, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday.

The Turkish military had no comment to the remarks by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, and it was unclear where he got the figures.

If they were accurate, Turkey would have nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which the U.S. has in the country.

Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's military for the government to give it the green light to carry out military operations in northern Iraqi against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

"Turkey is building up forces on the border. There are 140,000 soldiers fully armed on the border. We are against any military interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said during a news conference in Baghdad.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

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