AI
Thursday, July 08, 2004 8:18:49 PM
Turkey and Iran launch seperate operations against Pkk deny alliance
Turkey not to pull troops from northern Iraq: General Staff
www.chinaview.cn 2004-07-09 07:12:26
ANKARA, July 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The deputy chief of the Turkish General Staff said Thursday that Turkey's military existence in the north of Iraq would not end until the "eradication" of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).
"Withdrawal of Turkish military existence in north of Iraq is out of question until eradication of the terrorist organization," Ilker Basbug told a monthly press conference. "It is a security need of Turkey," he added.
Asked about operations against the PKK in Iran, Basbug said Iranian security forces have been conducting serious operations against the organization in border areas with Turkey. "These operations are absolutely not carried out jointly by the Turkish and Iranian Armed Forces. However, they are under way," Basbug said.
The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) on Wednesday quoted Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Ali Asgar Ahmadi as saying that eight militants of the PKK and two members of the Iranian forces were killed in a recent clash.
Iranian forces had reportedly launched an operation on July 2 against the PKK on Turkey's border and that at least 16 people had been killed since then.
The PKK, also known as KADEK and Kongra-Gel, announced in May that truce would end as of June 1 and that it would renew its separatist fight, which has killed more than 30,000 people in Turkey's southeast region.
The PKK, termed as a terrorist group by the United States, sustained a major blow in 1999 when its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, was captured in Kenya.
The group later retreated to the mountains of northern Iraq, where it is estimated to have up to 5,000 armed militants, announcing a unilateral truce and pledging to renounce armed struggle.
However, the Turkish military never let up in its campaign to crush the PKK.
About 2,000 PKK members have entered into Turkey in recent months from northern Iraq to launch attacks against Turkish military targets. Enditem
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/09/content_1584949.htm
Turkey not to pull troops from northern Iraq: General Staff
www.chinaview.cn 2004-07-09 07:12:26
ANKARA, July 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The deputy chief of the Turkish General Staff said Thursday that Turkey's military existence in the north of Iraq would not end until the "eradication" of the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).
"Withdrawal of Turkish military existence in north of Iraq is out of question until eradication of the terrorist organization," Ilker Basbug told a monthly press conference. "It is a security need of Turkey," he added.
Asked about operations against the PKK in Iran, Basbug said Iranian security forces have been conducting serious operations against the organization in border areas with Turkey. "These operations are absolutely not carried out jointly by the Turkish and Iranian Armed Forces. However, they are under way," Basbug said.
The Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) on Wednesday quoted Iranian Deputy Interior Minister Ali Asgar Ahmadi as saying that eight militants of the PKK and two members of the Iranian forces were killed in a recent clash.
Iranian forces had reportedly launched an operation on July 2 against the PKK on Turkey's border and that at least 16 people had been killed since then.
The PKK, also known as KADEK and Kongra-Gel, announced in May that truce would end as of June 1 and that it would renew its separatist fight, which has killed more than 30,000 people in Turkey's southeast region.
The PKK, termed as a terrorist group by the United States, sustained a major blow in 1999 when its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, was captured in Kenya.
The group later retreated to the mountains of northern Iraq, where it is estimated to have up to 5,000 armed militants, announcing a unilateral truce and pledging to renounce armed struggle.
However, the Turkish military never let up in its campaign to crush the PKK.
About 2,000 PKK members have entered into Turkey in recent months from northern Iraq to launch attacks against Turkish military targets. Enditem
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-07/09/content_1584949.htm
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