Turkish official: Turkey bombing targets in northern Iraq

Source: CNN

Turkish official: Turkey bombing targets in northern Iraq

(CNN) -- Turkey, which has been fighting Kurdish rebels along the Iraqi-Turkish border, is conducting a new bombing raid on targets in northern Iraq, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said on CNN Turk on Friday.

This comes as Iraqi officials visited Ankara to persuade Turkish officials not to conduct an all-out cross-border assault on Kurdistan Workers' Party rebels, who have conducted attacks against Turkey from northern Iraq. The assault was reported a day after Turkey's president, Abdullah Gul, said his country's "patience has come to an end" over the separatist rebels.

With the threat of a full military operation in hand, Turkish airstrikes and ground operations have already been reported against PKK positions on both sides of the mountainous, rugged border region. One report, posted Thursday on the Turkish military Web site, said more than 30 "terrorists" preparing for an attack along the border late Tuesday were killed.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/26/friday/index.html?section=cnn_latest

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Turkey Demands Iraq Extradite Kurdish Rebels
Turkey Demands Iraq Extradite Kurdish Rebels
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ― Turkey demanded the extradition of Kurdish rebel leaders based in Iraq's north on Friday, the Turkish deputy prime minister said Friday after meeting with an Iraqi delegation. Turkish war planes and helicopters, meanwhile, reportedly bombed separatist hideouts within Turkey's borders.

Despite repeated Turkish demands for more action from both the United States and Iraq, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, the top American military commander in northern Iraq, said Friday he plans to do "absolutely nothing" to counter Kurdish rebels operating from the region.

Mixon said it's not the U.S. military's responsibility to act. He said that he has sent no additional American troops to the area and he's not tracking hiding places or logistics activities of the rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by its Kurdish acronym PKK.

He also has not seen Kurdish authorities move against the rebels either, Mixon told Pentagon reporters by videoconference from a U.S. base near Tikrit in northern Iraq.

more:http://wcbstv.com/national/Turkey.Kurdish.rebel.2.413456.html


Iraqi offer unsatisfactory-senior Turkish source
26 Oct 2007 16:09:06 GMT

ANKARA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A series of proposals offered by a high-level Iraqi delegation to Turkey to prevent a major military operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq is unsatisfactory, a senior Turkish diplomat said on Friday.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LA132440.htm

Turkey made the request to the Iraqi government.

Turkey demanded the extradition of Kurdish rebel leaders based in Iraq's north on Friday, the Turkish deputy prime minister said Friday after meeting with an Iraqi delegation.


Brilliant move by Turkey. They are making a diplomatic request that if turned down gives them the opening for a full scale attack on the PKK.

government for action

<snip>

Despite repeated Turkish demands for more action from both the United States and Iraq, ...

<snip>

Before Turkey was asking the U.S. and Iraqi government to do something about the PKK attacks.

Now Turkey is asking the Iraqi government to turn over the PKK leaders to them.

Lotta giggling over this in Turkish high echelons?

Turkey's Parliament passed a resolution giving the military the green light to do whatever they wanted to stop the attacks.

Turkey is playing the diplomatic game, allowing the military time to fully mobilize on the border and showing the international community they gave it every chance to resolve the situation peacefully.

Turkey Military: Iraq Action Held Until PM's Nov US Visit -TV



ANKARA (AP)--Turkey's top military commander was quoted Friday as saying Ankara will wait until the prime minister visits Washington in November before deciding on a cross-border offensive into northern Iraq.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets U.S President George W. Bush in Washington on Nov. 5. "The Armed Forces will carry out a cross-border offensive when assigned," private NTV quoted Gen. Yasar Buyukanit as saying. "Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to the United States is very important, we will wait for his return."



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