Turkish government okays incursions into Iraq; 'The order has been given for every kind of measure, including if needed a cross-border operation'

Above: Turkish military trucks transport tanks near the border with Iraq today.

Turkey threatens Iraq border raid

Turkey's prime minister has given the go-ahead for a possible cross-border military operation in northern Iraq to hunt Kurdish separatists.

Fifteen Turkish soldiers have been killed in rebel attacks since Sunday...

On Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan chaired a meeting of senior government and military officials to discuss tougher action against the PKK. ..

Ankara claims the organisation is a terrorist group that enjoys free movement in northern Iraq, where it has easy access to weapons and explosives.

"The order has been given for every kind of measure, including if needed a cross-border operation," said a statement released by Mr Erdogan's office.

Turkish Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul said parliamentary approval would be needed for any large-scale military incursion into northern Iraq.

Read the rest at the BBC

Turkey Says Its Troops Can Cross Iraq Border

Turkey took a step toward cross-border military action in Iraq today, as a council of the country’s top political and military leaders issued a statement today allowing troops to cross to eliminate separatist Kurdish rebel camps in the mountainous northern region.

Turkey’s move toward military action comes in the face of strong opposition by the United States, which is anxious to maintain peace in that area, one of the rare regions of stability in conflict-torn Iraq.

All government offices and institutions have been ordered “to take all economic and political measures, including cross-border operations when necessary, in order to end the existence of the terror organization in a neighboring country,” said the statement, which was released by the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office.

After the meeting, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul told the semi-official Anatolian News Agency said that the parliamentary approval normally needed for cross-border movement of troops was not needed for special units’ in hot pursuit of Kurdish separatist rebels, who have launched a recent series of hit-and-run attacks from bases in northern Iraqi mountains. A landmine that exploded Sunday in southeastern Sirnak Province, about 15 miles from the Iraq border, killed 13 soldiers, one of the highest death tolls in recent years from attacks by the separatist Kurdish Workers’ Party, or P.K.K.

Read the rest at the NY Times

Iraq says pact with Turkey best way to tackle PKK

Iraq's government said on Tuesday a security accord signed with Turkey late last month was the best way to deal with attacks by Kurdish rebels in Turkey...

"The security agreement signed between Turkey and Iraq is the framework through which the security of the two countries can be preserved," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

Turkey and Iraq signed an anti-terrorism deal on Sept. 28 aimed against PKK rebels based in northern Iraq but failed to agree on a plan that would have let Turkish troops chase militants across their common border...

Under the security accord signed last month, Iraq and Turkey pledged to take all necessary measures, including financial and intelligence, to combat the PKK and other militant groups. They will hold six-monthly meetings to coordinate their work.

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

US warns against Turkish action in Iraq

The United States cautioned Turkey on Tuesday against making an incursion into northern Iraq after Kurdish rebels launched attacks from there and urged both countries to work together to resolve the conflict...

"If they have a problem, they need to work together to resolve it and I am not sure that unilateral incursions are the way to go, the way to resolve the issue," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

Asked whether Washington had urged restraint on both sides, McCormack said sovereign states had to make their own decisions about how best to defend themselves.

"We have counseled both in public and private for many, many months the idea that it is important to work cooperatively to resolve this issue," he said.

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

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