Turkey declares 'security zones'

Source: AP

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has declared several areas near the border with Iraq to be "temporary security zones" in a sign of increasing activity by the military in its campaign against Kurdish rebels.

The declaration Wednesday came amid a Turkish military buildup on the border, and on the same day as Turkish security officials and an Iraqi Kurdish official said hundreds of Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish guerrillas who launch raids into Turkey. Turkey's foreign minister denied there was a cross-border operation.

The military did not clarify what it meant by "temporary security zones," but some Turkish media reports Thursday said the areas would be off-limits to civilian flights. Others said the zones meant that additional security measures would be implemented, and entry into the regions would be restricted and tightly controlled.

In a statement posted on its Web site, the Turkish military released the coordinates of the areas that would be affected and said the zones would be in place until Sept. 9, but gave no other information.

Read more: http://www.pennlive.com/newsflash/international/index.ssf?/base/international-38/118122571220480.xml&storylist=international

southern Lebanon, "security zones"?

The initial defended area of an invasive force. The next step is continue buildup of forces in the bridgehead. It will be interesting to see whether any counterattack develops.

N/T

this will not stop.

Source: Associated Press

3 Turk soldiers killed in security zone

By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jun 7, 6:04 PM ET

ISTANBUL, Turkey - Turkey's military command declared its "unshakable
determination" early Friday to defeat Kurdish separatists hours after a
roadside bomb killed three Turkish soldiers and wounded six.

The attack Thursday evening occurred in one of several "temporary
security zones" that the military had just declared along the Iraq
border during its campaign against the guerrillas.

Authorities blamed the Kurdish rebels for the blast, which came amid
increasing activity by Turkish troops along the frontier that has fed
concerns the army might stage a large-scale offensive against rebel
bases in the predominantly Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Turkish leaders say guerrillas cross into Turkey to stage attacks in
their recently escalated fight to win autonomy for southeastern
Turkey, where ethnic Kurds make up much of the population.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070607/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_iraq

4 Turk soldiers killed in security zone By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press Writer
1 minute ago



ISTANBUL, Turkey - A Turkish soldier died Friday of wounds from a roadside bomb that was blamed on Kurdish separatists, raising the military death toll in the attack to four.

Turkey's military command, meanwhile, declared its "unshakable determination" to defeat the rebels, who cross the border from Iraq to assault Turkish targets.

The attack Thursday evening occurred in one of several "temporary security zones" that the military had just declared along the Iraq border during its campaign against the guerrillas.

The blast came amid increasing activity by Turkish troops along the frontier that has fed concerns the army might stage a large-scale offensive against rebel bases in the predominantly Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070608/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_iraq;_ylt=AvcqXddcP21hzX6qwWRlolgLewgF

Stuffing meets in closed door talks with gravy and sweet potatoes.

Nobody ever listens to Pumpkin Pie.

mikey_the_rat

This has nothing to do with the quarter million Turkish troops on the Iraqi border, nothing.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will pay a two-day visit to Ankara on Monday to hold a series of talks with Turkish authorities.

After Turkey withdrew its military support to the European Union (EU) under the European Security and Defense Policy, Scheffer decided to pay a visit to Ankara on June 11 and 12. He is expected to meet Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, National Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit on June 12.

Scheffer's previous visit to Turkey was in 2005.

Last week, Turkey withdrew its commitment to contribute its air and naval units to the EU's joint battle group, in a move to protest against the 27-nation union for excluding it from the decision-making bodies of NATO-EU cooperation.

http://www.dunyagazetesi.com.tr/news_display.asp?upsale_id=315860&dept_id=87

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would propose a strategy aimed at ending Turkey's bid for membership in the European Union.


In an interview with Le Figaro daily, the conservative French leader said his priority remained winning support for a scaled-down EU treaty to replace the bloc's stalled constitution project. “I will propose a strategy that will allow us to find a way to not break Europe and at the same time not continue with the strategy of membership” for Turkey, Le Figaro quoted Sarkozy, a fierce opponent of Ankara's membership bid, as saying. “I have not changed my mind: Turkey has no place in Europe,” he said. He added he would not bring up the issue at a European summit later this month, where he hopes to focus his push for a streamlined EU constitution. “If I pose the question of Turkey, there will be no simplified treaty,” he said.
The French leader insisted his opposition to the Turkish bid was not directed against the Turkish people but rather a question of defining Europe's borders. His stance on the issue runs against a majority of EU leaders, who back entry negotiations with Ankara. Turkey's EU negotiations are now on a slow track after it refused last year to implement a customs union pact with EU member Greek Cyprus, which Ankara does not recognize. Ankara expects to soon begin accession talks with the 27-nation bloc on three more negotiating chapters, with Sarkozy not expecting to block their opening at the upcoming summit.

http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=45771

made it sound as if they DID... and then later reports claimed they hadn't. I have a sneaking suspicion that the border is well and fully breached..

why would you send commandos to the border? The Turkish commandos most likely made a quick incursion into Iraq and returned back into Turkey.

Turkey. I heard on the Turkish media that pkk is more and more using syrian, iranian and iraqi kurds for their attacks. The Turkish army is furious, some 2 dozen soldiers died in the past 2 months.