Turkey launches first land operation into N. Iraq

[cartel]

The Turkish army says troops, backed by fighter jets, crossed into northern Iraq late Thursday to hunt down PKK terrorists. In his first remarks Prime Minister Erdoğan says the target is terrorists, not Iraqis, urges cooperation with the US and Iraq to halt terrorism

The Turkish media reported that 10,000 troops backed by warplanes and Cobra attack helicopters entered northern Iraq, but the U.S command in Iraq said only a few hundred Turkish troops joined the operation, NTV reported.

The military said at least 24 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists were killed in clashes in northern Iraq, in a statement posted to its website early Saturday. It also said five troops were killed.


It's time to eliminate those PKK Bastards once and for all!

[Fenerliyim]

Turkey Says 127 Dead in Iraq Battles; U.S. Urges Calm (Update1)

By Ken Fireman and Mark Bentley

Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Turkey said the death toll in three days of battles with Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq reached 127, as the U.S. urged an end to the incursion.

The Turkish armed forces have killed 112 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, including 33 today, the military said on its Web site. Fifteen Turkish soldiers have also died in the conflict, it said.

``We will continue the operation with the same determination and heroism until planned targets are reached,'' the military said, adding that jets, artillery and helicopters had hit 63 suspected PKK targets in mountainous northern Iraq since troops went over the border on Feb. 21.

The U.S., the United Nations and Germany have called on Turkey to show restraint in dealing with the threat of the PKK from northern Iraq. The Kurdish-controlled region has remained relatively peaceful since the U.S.-led invasion five years ago, and the U.S. military is relying on Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers to help battle insurgents in and around Baghdad.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Turkish army should wrap up the campaign, adding Turkey won't be able to solve the problem of cross-border Kurdish raids through purely military means.

``I would hope that it would be short, that it would be precise and avoid the loss of innocent life, and that they leave as quickly as they can accomplish their mission,'' Gates told reporters today in Canberra, Australia.

Air Strikes

The operation, the culmination of two months of air strikes, is the latest Turkish attempt to neutralize about 4,000 PKK fighters who retreated to northern Iraq after their leader Abdullah Ocalan was captured by Turkey and put on trial in 1999.

A helicopter was also destroyed during fighting today, the army said, without giving further details. Bahoz Erdal, a leader of the PKK, told the Netherlands-based Firat news agency that the group's fighters shot the aircraft down.

Turkey has fought the PKK for two decades at the cost of almost 40,000 lives. The U.S. and the European Union brand the group as terrorists.

While expressing sympathy for the Turkish goal of blunting the PKK, Gates urged Turkish leaders to battle the group through political and economic as well as military methods. He said Turkey should reach out to its Kurdish population through such means as a way of eroding the PKK's base of support.

Economic Measures

``These economic and political measures are really important,'' Gates said. ``Because after a certain point people become inured to military attacks. If you don't blend them with these kinds of non-military initiatives, then at a certain point I think that the military efforts become less and less effective.''

Supporters of the PKK should widen the conflict with Turkey to the nation's cities, Erdal said. The group is calling on Kurdish youths to attack targets in Istanbul and other major population centers, set fire to cars and disrupt everyday life, he said.

Gates said he didn't think the Turkish incursion threatened to destabilize the Iraqi government. He called on Turkish officials to coordinate with their Iraqi counterparts as closely as possible in informing them of their plans.

The Kurdish regional government that holds sway in northern Iraq has become ``much more active'' in trying to control the PKK fighters based in their area, he said.

Gates is scheduled to meet with Turkish leaders on Feb. 28 in Ankara, toward the end of an eight-day Asian trip.



hehehe

[Pr0s]

Handle those terrorists once and for all.

[FR Sloboda]

destroy there terrorist force and also destroy there stupid fake Kurdish northen Iraq.

[poutismalakas]

destroy there terrorist force and also destroy there stupid fake Kurdish northen Iraq.

what do you mean about "fake Kurdish Northern Iraq"!!!!???? So your approving of genocide?

[el Turco]

what do you mean about "fake Kurdish Northern Iraq"!!!!???? So your approving of genocide?

please tell me. What does this have to do with any genocide?

[poutismalakas]

please tell me. What does this have to do with any genocide?

he said destroy their "stupid fake Kurdish northen Iraq" What does that sound like to you?

[FR Sloboda]

Bla bla bla - what are you going to sue me over my comments?

ps: the kurdish northern iraq is a fake state, and it is trying to secede from iraq and destroy her terrortorial integrety.

and also i do not approve of everything the Turks do but i support them in their war against the PKK and all those terrorists need to be taken out before it is too late.

[poutismalakas]

Bla bla bla - what are you going to sue me over my comments?

ps: the kurdish northern iraq is a fake state, and it is trying to secede from iraq and destroy her terrortorial integrety.

and also i do not approve of everything the Turks do but i support them in their war against the PKK and all those terrorists need to be taken out before it is too late.so it is ok for Kosovo to ceced but not Kurdistan?? HUmm the hypocracy on that statement...

[SiN]

AGAIN: I REPEAT, THERE IS NO COUNTRY CALLED KURDISTAN!!! STOP DAYDREAMING!!!

----

All my prays and thoughts are with the turkish soilders, who are going through very hard times in the snow and with death all around them.

[el Turco]

so it is ok for Kosovo to ceced but not Kurdistan?? HUmm the hypocracy on that statement...

Did Kosovanians killed over 30,000 Serbs? What would have you felt it they were fighting against Greeks?

[Pape]

They had their own nazi unit in WWII and took a great toll on the 800,000 Serbs killed in WWII. Their goal infact was to ethnically cleanse Kosovo from Serbs, so that answer is yes very much over 30,000.

[cartel]

so it is ok for Kosovo to ceced but not Kurdistan?? HUmm the hypocracy on that statement...

what? there are many Kurdish People living in Turkey, most of them don't support the PKK, they are against them. But the other rest WILL be ***ked up.

Our fathers & grandfathers have droped their blood to defend these turkish lands. Do you really think that we will give that Monkeys land?

sehitler ölmez vatan bölünmez!

[SiN]

Around 40 000 inoccent turks have died since 1984 in the hands of the pkk terrorists.

[poutismalakas]

Did Kosovanians killed over 30,000 Serbs? What would have you felt it they were fighting against Greeks?

you know that is a lie! Albanian death totals where NO WHERE near that number!

[poutismalakas]

IF the Kurds in Iraq decide to form a independent nation what will you say then?!

[el Turco]

If Turks in Northeastern Greece decide form an independent country, what would you say?

[poutismalakas]

If Turks in Northeastern Greece decide form an independent country, what would you say?

actually the last I saw Iraq was NOT part of Turkey!

[PAO_HELLAS]

If Turks in Northeastern Greece decide form an independent country, what would you say?

How can an ethnic group form an indepedent state when they are not a majority in an area?

Except if USA starts "alchemies" like the ones that took place in Kosovo... And for USA a Balkan peniscula full of miniature states which would play the role of their protectorates would be ideal (Greece and Turkey wouldn't escape....) But something like this would take some years. And people are waking up. So I would not tell them to be so confident.

[el Turco]

actually the last I saw Iraq was NOT part of Turkey!

yes, but kurdistan they want to form include current Turkish territory.

[aslanlar]

Yes, invade and kill the ***king dogs.

SEHITLER OLMEZ, VATAN BOLUNMEZ

[Saraj Fanático]

I don't think this should be celebrated. We all know that PKK will not be destabilized like this.

[aslanlar]

Loss of lives are not something to celebrate.
It will destabilize the PKK, just not elimate them, the animals will continue to claim Turkish lives. Every terrorist we kill is making Turkey a safer place to live.

[SiN]

Well we spent almost a week in Northern Iraq and we pulled out yesterday, our mission is done for now. We lost alot of lives aswell somewhere in the vacinity of 25 soilders? Is this right?

But we certainly made a dent in the PKK's movements and operations thats for sure, we blew most of their camps out of the sky and sent all there men where they belong.

Im proud of the turkish army, those men are incredible, the conditions they endure just for the protection of our nation. I salute them.

[cartel]

We lost alot of lives aswell somewhere in the vacinity of 25 soilders? Is this right?


we lost 27 brave soldiers, R.I.P. my brothers.

At least 240 PKK terrorists were killed and dozens of terrorist hideouts, logistics bases and ammunition depots destroyed, said the General Staff.

the goals of the operation are achieved.

[SiN]

27 is too much of a high figure imo, i feel for the families of the dead soilders :(

[Saraj Fanático]

RIP to the 27. Very tragic.

[aslanlar]

Them 27 saved many more lives, rest in peace brothers.

[SiN]

Erdogan bowed down to the pressure from the US to back out of Northern Iraq. That bastard, shows that this government is a puppet slave for the US.

The US reprezentative said: "Turkey should not spend more than 1 week in the area, that Turkey should leave before causing more trouble and should not stay long"

***king Americans, what the hell are you doing in Iraq all this time then????

[aslanlar]

I don't think this is about america, we had a short mission and we achieved our goal. Plus, the best thing the PKK could hope for is attention, a 1 week raid is good.

Did you forget what happened when we threatened to invade before?
US: don't invade
Turkey: we'll see...don't accept armenian genocide bill
Bush: PKK is an enemy, we will help Turkey bomb them... Don't recognize the genocide bill people!
[results in record high prices for oil in the US]
Turkey bombs Iraq, US gives us help
Armenian genocide bill not recognized.

[FR Sloboda]

Erdogan is a fool when will the Turkish Generals overthrow him so that they can make a military attack on the kurds, which involves special forces and rocket artillery!

[el Turco]

Erdogan bowed down to the pressure from the US to back out of Northern Iraq. That bastard, shows that this government is a puppet slave for the US.

The US reprezentative said: "Turkey should not spend more than 1 week in the area, that Turkey should leave before causing more trouble and should not stay long"

***king Americans, what the hell are you doing in Iraq all this time then????

Do you have any idea what's going on in Turkey. Erdogan didnt even know we were being pulled out of Iraq. Head General Buyukanit said it a million times, it was army's decision, mission was accomplished, and it was only him and President Gul who knew about it ahead of the time.

We were returning back before US said that.

[SiN]

Yes i do know whats going on in Turkey.

Corruption.

[aslanlar]

Yep, Turkeys horrible... I'm just scared when the US is gonna ask Turkey to use Istanbul and Ankara as nuclear bomb testing zones for urban environemnts and Erdogan agrees... According to your assertions, it wouldn't be too unlikely :D

[SiN]

There is 3000+ PKK Terrorists, we only killed like a max of 300 so far from all the bombings and this incursion. The job is not done, but it will do for now i guess beacause our number of casualties were too high.

[FR Sloboda]

24 is not too high, the only problem is that you guys need to send your paratroopers and special forces and use more rocket artillary agianst the PKK so that you can wipe them out.

[SiN]

I say more air raids are in order, bomb the crap out of them from the sky, they cant do shit about that :)

[el Turco]

There is 3000+ PKK Terrorists, we only killed like a max of 300 so far from all the bombings and this incursion. The job is not done, but it will do for now i guess beacause our number of casualties were too high.

do u really think it is possible to kill all 3000 of them? Dont forget, there is more in Turkey than Iraq.

Btw, Turkish Military Forces has hinted that there will be more operations.

Yes i do know whats going on in Turkey.

Corruption.

If you call this a corruption, then I recomend you learn about some history, espacially before 80s. In my opinion, Turkey is in a great situation considering how it was before.

[SiN]

Of course there will be more operations

No not 30000!! i said 3000...there cannot be more than 30 000 PKK's man thats ridicolous

Im not going to comment about those kind of things anymore.