Turkey calls on Iraq to take action against Kurdish rebels

[Barrett808]

ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey on Monday called on Iraq to clamp down on armed Turkish Kurd rebels who have sought refuge across the border, as visiting Iraqi President Ghazi al-Yawar warned Ankara against interfering in its internal affairs.

Turkey says thousands of rebels from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), recently renamed KONGRA-GEL, have holed up in mountainous northern Iraq since 1999 when the group began observing a unilateral truce in its bloody campaign for self-rule in southeastern Turkey.

The rebels are now believed to be infiltrating back into Turkey after the group cancelled the truce in June, warning foreigners and investors to stay away.

"I told president Yawar that we expected (Iraqi officials) to end the presence of PKK/KONGRA-GEL in Iraq at once and to ensure that the new Iraq does not give shelter to terrorist organizations," Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer told a press conference after talks with the Iraqi leader.

Yawar for his part expressed Baghdad's readiness to combat the rebels.

"We cannot... turn a blind eye to a formation which endangers the security of our neighbours," he said.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040816/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_turkey&cid=1514&ncid=1480

[Union Thug]

1. uh oh... I'm glad bush did such a great job of stabilizing the mid east.

Nice to know there's democracy thriving and people living in peace and harmony.

/sarcasm.

[LittleApple81]

2. FUBAR. n/t

[Barrett808]

3. Iraq's Al-Yawer Vows Kurd Rebel Crackdown

Iraq's Al-Yawer Vows Kurd Rebel Crackdown
By SELCAN HACAOGLU, Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey - Iraq's interim president promised on Monday to prevent Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq from launching attacking into Turkey, apparently hoping to avoid a Turkish military response.

Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy have stepped up attacks in Turkey, officials said, including bombings last week at two small hotels and at a liquefied petroleum gas plant in Istanbul that killed two people and wounded 11 others.

There are some 5,000 Turkish Kurdish rebels holed up in the mountains of Iraq, where many among Iraq's Kurds sympathize with their cause. Turkey repeatedly has urged U.S. and Iraqi authorities to crack down on the rebels, and on Monday, Iraq's interim President Ghazi al-Yawer assured Turkey's president that Baghdad would take action.

"We cannot tolerate or allow any group or formation that is posing a threat to the security of our neighbors," al-Yawer said at a joint news conference with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040816/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_iraq&cid=540&ncid=1480

[lottie244]

4. Here it comes. They are literally asking for Saddam-like actions

Maybe Saddam had a good reason for putting down the Kurdish uprising...like maybe preventing a regime takeover. Much the same as Bush would do if the peace protesters threatened to take over America.
Remember, the US did it once at Kent State. They could do it again.

[Hobarticus]

5. So, if Turkey, a NATO ally, invades northern Iraq...

...who do we bomb?

[Charlie Brown]

6. Are we going to stand in and defend

our beloved allies, the Kurds. After all, "Saddam gassed five thousand Kurds" was one of the major plugs for this war. I guess when our allies target and persecute ethnic minoirity, it's with our full consent.