Turkey to Vote on Military Action in Iraq

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2007-10-15 12:38pm

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- The Turkish government will seek parliamentary approval for a military operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, a government spokesman said Monday, taking action on one of two major issues straining relations with Washington.

The spokesman, Cemil Cicek, said he hoped Parliament would vote on the motion this week -- passage is considered likely -- but indicated that the government would still prefer a solution to the conflict that does not involve a cross-border offensive.

"Our hope is that there will be no need to use this motion," Cicek said.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government twice acquired similar authorizations from the Parliament in 2003, but did not act on them.

Cicek insisted the only target was the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as the PKK.

"We have always respected the sovereignty of Iraq, which is a friendly and brotherly country to us," Cicek said. "But the reality that everyone knows is that this terrorist organization, which has bases in the north of Iraq, is attacking the territorial integrity of Turkey and its citizens."

The statement appeared to be aimed at reassuring Iraq's central government as well as Iraqi Kurds, who run their own administration in northern Iraq.

Fighting along the border with Iraq was reported over the weekend, where Turkey's military said it "responded heavily" to attacks from northern Iraq by Kurdish fighters on Friday. Iraqi Kurds reported that Turkish artillery hit their territory.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europ ... index.html

Julhelm · Post by **Julhelm** » 2007-10-15 12:42pm

So the kurds are going to get fucked over yet again.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2007-10-15 12:50pm

Yeah, chances are the Kurds are about to get rolled by the Turkish army.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2007-10-15 01:05pm

Who will be using US-supplied hardware, if and when they do it.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » 2007-10-15 01:48pm

So their making it official policy what they are already doing for some years now?

J · Post by J » 2007-10-15 03:56pm

I was wondering why energy futures were going nuts today...

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2007-10-15 03:58pm

Fuck you Turkey!

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 2007-10-15 04:18pm

Wanderer wrote:So their making it official policy what they are already doing for some years now?

I think they were using commandos and the like before. Presumably this would involve heavier stuff.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2007-10-15 04:39pm

Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:Fuck you Turkey!

I have some sympathy toward Turkey since the Kurds are, in fact, using northern Iraq to stage attacks on Turkish soil. Plus, the land the Kurds and Turks are fighting over, which the Kurds actually consider their capital, happens to be the center of Turkey's oil fields. So I'm not sure why your flipping the bird at them, given they have a better reason than most to want to send an army into Iraq and knock heads together.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » 2007-10-15 04:44pm

Lonestar wrote:
Wanderer wrote:So their making it official policy what they are already doing for some years now?
I think they were using commandos and the like before. Presumably this would involve heavier stuff.

They have been using Heavier stuff and so has Iran for that matter. Some of the Turkish members at ACIG.org even have gun camera footage from Turkish Airstrikes. You have to be a registered member to see it though.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2007-10-15 05:14pm

Einhander Sn0m4n wrote:Fuck you Turkey!

News flash, the Kurds attack across the boarder all the fucking time, and the PKK is considered a terrorist organization by the United States! If the Iraqi government, US government and the local Kurdish authorities are all going to continue the present do nothing state of affairs, then Turkey has every right to counter attack. That conflict does not have a good guy in it.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2007-10-15 05:48pm

I heard someone on the radio say they were going to have ham this thanksgiving. I wonder if that'll catch on.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2007-10-15 05:58pm

I'm having nightmares of the US military being forced to act in defense of the Kurds, and end up shooting at Turkish soldiers as a result. Anyone else picture that happening?

Psychic_Sandwich · Post by **Psychic_Sandwich** » 2007-10-15 06:08pm

I'm having nightmares of the US military being forced to act in defense of the Kurds, and end up shooting at Turkish soldiers as a result. Anyone else picture that happening?

That's really unlikely. The US forces in Iraq depend on Turkey as a staging point for their supplies. Something like 70% of all US supplies make a stop in Turkey, including 20% of all their fuel (those figures came from a BBC news report on TV a couple of days ago. I don't know an online source).

The US can't afford to piss off Turkey by actually stopping them should they decide to go after the Kurds, since it makes their Iraq mission logistically unsustainable if Turkey cuts off access. However, Turkey has to consider the potential implications of a pissed of US further down the line, when they don't have America's balls in a vice.

Adrian Laguna · Post by **Adrian Laguna** » 2007-10-15 06:38pm

It's possibly just saber rattling. Turkey will never get into the EU if they invade. That's one big risk they have to consider. While the Turks do have legitimate reasons to invade, including a legal claim on Mosul, all the world will see is those evil, evil Turks shooting-up "innocent" Kurds.

jegs2 · Post by **jegs2** » 2007-10-15 06:41pm

Sidewinder wrote:I'm having nightmares of the US military being forced to act in defense of the Kurds, and end up shooting at Turkish soldiers as a result. Anyone else picture that happening?

It's a concern, especially among military transition team members.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2007-10-15 06:57pm

Adrian Laguna wrote:It's possibly just saber rattling. Turkey will never get into the EU if they invade. That's one big risk they have to consider. While the Turks do have legitimate reasons to invade, including a legal claim on Mosul, all the world will see is those evil, evil Turks shooting-up "innocent" Kurds.

The legality of the claim is based around the location of British troops at the end of the war in 1918, and is hardly any better grounded these days then Iraq's sort of real claim on Kuwait was.

Pelranius · Post by **Pelranius** » 2007-10-15 08:06pm

Maybe the Turks are hoping that such a resolution will rile the Kurds enough to launch a major attack, and that in turn will either give Ankara a freer hand in dealing with the PKK or that the US will crack down on the various militias.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2007-10-15 08:28pm

I wouldn't be surprised if the US 'conveniently' moved its assets in the area out of the way for a few hours on some kind of 'long patrol' or whatever, leaving a nice big hole which the Turks send in a large special forces raid to attack and destroy training camps in so on, then get back out before the US can return and 'drive them off'.

Adrian Laguna · Post by **Adrian Laguna** » 2007-10-15 08:31pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:The legality of the claim is based around the location of British troops at the end of the war in 1918, and is hardly any better grounded these days then Iraq's sort of real claim on Kuwait was.

Even if it was, it's rather improbable anyone but the Turks would care.

ArmorPierce · Post by **ArmorPierce** » 2007-10-16 09:58pm

I don't know what's with all the hate against Turkey. Turkey has much more right to go into Iraq than we ever did.

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-10-16 10:29pm

ArmorPierce wrote:I don't know what's with all the hate against Turkey. Turkey has much more right to go into Iraq than we ever did.

The Kurds are regarded as second class citizens if I am not wrong. Not Turkish enough.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2007-10-17 12:13pm

Parliament has passed the motion to take action. Prepare for glory! Sorry, I mean prepare for a clusterfuck getting even more fucked.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2007-10-17 12:31pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:Parliament has passed the motion to take action. Prepare for glory! Sorry, I mean prepare for a clusterfuck getting even more fucked.

On the bright side, oil prices are now going up faster than the USD is going down. Which means our oil futures are actually profitable again.

On a related note, the year just isn't complete without a mid-east crisis of some sort. Last year we had Israel & Lebenon going at it, now it looks like Turkey & Iraq will have some fun. I wonder what's in store next year?

Fingolfin_Noldor · Post by **Fingolfin_Noldor** » 2007-10-17 01:19pm

aerius wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:Parliament has passed the motion to take action. Prepare for glory! Sorry, I mean prepare for a clusterfuck getting even more fucked.
On the bright side, oil prices are now going up faster than the USD is going down. Which means our oil futures are actually profitable again.

On a related note, the year just isn't complete without a mid-east crisis of some sort. Last year we had Israel & Lebenon going at it, now it looks like Turkey & Iraq will have some fun. I wonder what's in store next year?

Probably Iran and the US. George Bush can't let Iran get away before his term ends next year.