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Turkish special forces hit rebels in N.Iraq |
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Written by Reuters
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Saturday, 01 December 2007 |
The Turkish army carried out an "intense intervention" against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq on Saturday, sending in special forces a day after the cabinet authorized a cross-border operation.
The action did not appear to be a long-awaited major operation by NATO member Turkey to destroy rebel bases.
A military official said around 100 special forces were sent into northern Iraq to hit Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels. The army also sent between four and six helicopters to bomb a camp used by the PKK.
The NTV news channel said the army used helicopters and artillery in a cross-border operation for the first time in many years. The military official said the special forces had returned to Turkish territory.
Earlier, a spokesman for Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani said there had been no incursion by Turkish troops into the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. The U.S. military said it was unaware of any incursion.
The Turkish army said on its Web site that a group of 50 to 60 PKK rebels had been spotted inside Iraq's borders.
"An intense intervention was made on the group and it was detected that the terrorist group had suffered heavy casualties," it said.
The army said it could step up its "intervention" in the region if this was needed.
Turkey has amassed up to 100,000 troops near the mountainous border, backed up by tanks, artillery and warplanes, for a possible strike into mainly Kurdish northern Iraq.
MILITARY ACTION
Ankara has made many threats of military action but, under heavy U.S. pressure, has so far shown restraint. Washington fears a large-scale operation could destabilize the most stable part of Iraq and possibly the wider region.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said before the army statement that he hoped to get the "most effective" result from an operation.
"Our armed forces were authorized as of Nov 28. We will watch and follow the process after this," Erdogan said.
Turkey's parliament approved a resolution on October 17 giving the government the legal basis to order cross-border military operations if and when it deemed them necessary.
The resolution, approved by an overwhelming majority of lawmakers, followed a series of deadly PKK attacks on Turkish security forces that fanned an angry wave of nationalism across Turkey, a NATO member that also wants to join the EU.
That resolution was valid for one year. The cabinet decision this week effectively freed up the generals to act as they saw necessary without seeking further political approval.
Erdogan held emergency talks with Bush on November 5 in the White House, wringing from him pledges of closer cooperation, including more intelligence sharing against a group Washington also brands as terrorist. |
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