Turkey's Erdogan threatens raids into northern Iraq against PKK

08/10/2008

ANKARA, Turkey -- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Tuesday (October 7th) Turkey's army could launch a cross-border operation into northern Iraq to target members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). His remarks came four days after a PKK attack on a military outpost in Turkey's southeastern Hakkari province that killed 17 soldiers. "I would like to make it clear once again that such an operation, if necessary, would not target civilians or the integrity and political unity of Iraq. The only target would be the PKK terrorist organisation," Erdogan told lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). On Wednesday, parliament will vote on a proposal that extends authority for launching cross-border operations into northern Iraq for another year.

Also Tuesday, the leader of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahceli, proposed establishing a buffer zone between Turkey and Iraq to prevent terrorists from infiltrating. Government spokesman Cemil Cicek said the cabinet would evaluate the proposal.

Two more PKK members died in the ongoing military operation following Friday's attack, the army said in a statement on its website Tuesday. That makes a total of 25 militants killed. (Milliyet, Radikal, Cumhuriyet - 08/10/08; Anadolu news agency, Hurriyet, Turkish Press, CNN Turk, NTV - 07/10/08)