Post by Flash on Oct 17, 2007 15:30:27 GMT -5
Turkey fights Terrorists as it has always done
Even Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday that Turkey has a legitimate right to stage a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels based in Iraq.
"We understand that such an operation would be aimed toward a certain group which attacks Turkish soldiers. We support decisions that Turkey has on its agenda, we are backing them," Assad told reporters. "We accept this as Turkey's legitimate right."
Turkey’s Parliament has voted to give the government authority to send troops into northern Iraq today, moving this NATO country one step closer to a military confrontation with Iraq over Kurdish rebels who hide there.
Turkish lawmakers voted 507 to 19 in favor of the motion, which was supported by all but one of Turkey’s political parties and seemed to broadly reflect the wishes of the Turkish public. It gives the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a year in which to launch offensives against Kurdish separatists who carry out attacks in Turkey from hideouts in Iraq. They want to establish an autonomous Kurdish region in eastern Turkey.
“After so many incidents, we’re at a point that our patience has run out,” said Cemil Cicek, a government spokesman and a member of a special council on terrorism, speaking in the parliamentary chamber.
But even as the Parliament voted, officials in several different countries were working strenuously to avert military action, and Turkish officials said that motion’s passage did not necessarily mean it would be applied.
An offensive into Iraq would be extremely troubling for the United States, which is trying to balance its support for Turkey — its ally in NATO and a major supply base for the Iraq war — with its role as the occupying force in Iraq. At the same time, a Congressional resolution that would condemn as genocide Turks’ mass killings of Armenians nearly a century ago has been raising tensions between the two countries. But Democratic lawmakers’ support for the measure appears to be dwindling, not least because they fear losing Turkey’s support for the Iraq war.
Turks accuse Iraqi Kurds — the single most trusted American ally in the war — of turning a blind eye to Kurdish militancy.
“We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don’t think it is in their interests to send troops into Iraq,” President Bush said at a news conference at the White House. “There’s a better way to deal with the issue than having the Turks send massive troops into the country.”
But Turkish officials say that recent diplomatic efforts have not succeeded. Turkey signed a security agreement with Iraq in September, but since then, more than two dozen Turks have been killed in rebel attacks, some of them civilians, and the government is under strong public pressure to act.
And the September agreement did not give Turkey permission to strike at rebels across the border, an omission that has frustrated the Turks. Mr. Cicek said that Wednesday’s approval would not necessarily be used immediately, or even at all.
“What suits a great nation is to exercise patience at the point where our patience has already run out, to find the right way and lock on the right target,” he said.
Iraq’s prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, called Mr. Erdogan to ask for more time and to express his determination to take action against the rebels. Mr. Maliki said a delegation would arrive in Ankara on Thursday to continue to seek a diplomatic solution.
“Let’s do whatever necessary together,” Mr. Maliki said, according to the state-run Anatolian News Agency.
Mr. Erdogan responded that he would meet the Iraqi delegation but that Turkey had no tolerance for any further loss of time, according to the Turkish agency.
That tone stood in contrast to remarks by an Iraqi vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, who spoke to reporters before leaving Turkey this morning.
“There is a new atmosphere to stop the current crisis,” Mr. Hashimi said to reporters in comments carried by the private NTV network. “The Iraqi government should be given a chance to prevent cross border terror activities.”
But Turkish officials responded sharply.
“The U.S. must realize the seriousness of this situation and Turkey’s determination to root out terrorism,” said lawmaker Nihat Ergun, during the debate. “Iraq has become a stomping ground for terrorists.”
Turkey’s chief of staff, General Yasar Buyukanit, speaking to reporters in Rome, where he was on an official visit, said: “Hashimi says he got what he wanted, but I don’t know what he got. Has he gone shopping? What has he done, or bought?”
Turkish Foreign Ministry officials in Ankara briefed representatives of countries neighboring Iraq, five permanent members of the United Nations as well as the G-8 countries on the latest situation and the details of today’s parliamentary motion, a ministry spokesman said.
Even Syria weighed in, with President Bashar al-Assad, in Ankara on a three-day official visit, pointing out the responsibility of the United States in providing support to Turkey.
“It is important to note that the powers that have invaded Iraq are those primarily responsible for the terror activities and attacks because they control the country,” Mr. Assad said, according to the Anatolian News Agency. “We certainly support and back the decisions by the Turkish government in combat against terror and terror activities.”
Meanwhile, along Turkey’s border with Iraq, General Ilker Basbug, commander of the Turkish Land Forces, visited Besagac village of Sirnak province, where 12 civilians were killed by Kurdish rebels in late September.
“This is a crime against humanity,” General Basbug, speaking to villagers, as Anatolian News Agency quoted. “We share your grief and we would do whatever we can as the Turkish Armed Forces to heal your wounds. This is our duty.”
Even Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday that Turkey has a legitimate right to stage a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels based in Iraq.
"We understand that such an operation would be aimed toward a certain group which attacks Turkish soldiers. We support decisions that Turkey has on its agenda, we are backing them," Assad told reporters. "We accept this as Turkey's legitimate right."
Turkey’s Parliament has voted to give the government authority to send troops into northern Iraq today, moving this NATO country one step closer to a military confrontation with Iraq over Kurdish rebels who hide there.
Turkish lawmakers voted 507 to 19 in favor of the motion, which was supported by all but one of Turkey’s political parties and seemed to broadly reflect the wishes of the Turkish public. It gives the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a year in which to launch offensives against Kurdish separatists who carry out attacks in Turkey from hideouts in Iraq. They want to establish an autonomous Kurdish region in eastern Turkey.
“After so many incidents, we’re at a point that our patience has run out,” said Cemil Cicek, a government spokesman and a member of a special council on terrorism, speaking in the parliamentary chamber.
But even as the Parliament voted, officials in several different countries were working strenuously to avert military action, and Turkish officials said that motion’s passage did not necessarily mean it would be applied.
An offensive into Iraq would be extremely troubling for the United States, which is trying to balance its support for Turkey — its ally in NATO and a major supply base for the Iraq war — with its role as the occupying force in Iraq. At the same time, a Congressional resolution that would condemn as genocide Turks’ mass killings of Armenians nearly a century ago has been raising tensions between the two countries. But Democratic lawmakers’ support for the measure appears to be dwindling, not least because they fear losing Turkey’s support for the Iraq war.
Turks accuse Iraqi Kurds — the single most trusted American ally in the war — of turning a blind eye to Kurdish militancy.
“We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don’t think it is in their interests to send troops into Iraq,” President Bush said at a news conference at the White House. “There’s a better way to deal with the issue than having the Turks send massive troops into the country.”
But Turkish officials say that recent diplomatic efforts have not succeeded. Turkey signed a security agreement with Iraq in September, but since then, more than two dozen Turks have been killed in rebel attacks, some of them civilians, and the government is under strong public pressure to act.
And the September agreement did not give Turkey permission to strike at rebels across the border, an omission that has frustrated the Turks. Mr. Cicek said that Wednesday’s approval would not necessarily be used immediately, or even at all.
“What suits a great nation is to exercise patience at the point where our patience has already run out, to find the right way and lock on the right target,” he said.
Iraq’s prime minister, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, called Mr. Erdogan to ask for more time and to express his determination to take action against the rebels. Mr. Maliki said a delegation would arrive in Ankara on Thursday to continue to seek a diplomatic solution.
“Let’s do whatever necessary together,” Mr. Maliki said, according to the state-run Anatolian News Agency.
Mr. Erdogan responded that he would meet the Iraqi delegation but that Turkey had no tolerance for any further loss of time, according to the Turkish agency.
That tone stood in contrast to remarks by an Iraqi vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, who spoke to reporters before leaving Turkey this morning.
“There is a new atmosphere to stop the current crisis,” Mr. Hashimi said to reporters in comments carried by the private NTV network. “The Iraqi government should be given a chance to prevent cross border terror activities.”
But Turkish officials responded sharply.
“The U.S. must realize the seriousness of this situation and Turkey’s determination to root out terrorism,” said lawmaker Nihat Ergun, during the debate. “Iraq has become a stomping ground for terrorists.”
Turkey’s chief of staff, General Yasar Buyukanit, speaking to reporters in Rome, where he was on an official visit, said: “Hashimi says he got what he wanted, but I don’t know what he got. Has he gone shopping? What has he done, or bought?”
Turkish Foreign Ministry officials in Ankara briefed representatives of countries neighboring Iraq, five permanent members of the United Nations as well as the G-8 countries on the latest situation and the details of today’s parliamentary motion, a ministry spokesman said.
Even Syria weighed in, with President Bashar al-Assad, in Ankara on a three-day official visit, pointing out the responsibility of the United States in providing support to Turkey.
“It is important to note that the powers that have invaded Iraq are those primarily responsible for the terror activities and attacks because they control the country,” Mr. Assad said, according to the Anatolian News Agency. “We certainly support and back the decisions by the Turkish government in combat against terror and terror activities.”
Meanwhile, along Turkey’s border with Iraq, General Ilker Basbug, commander of the Turkish Land Forces, visited Besagac village of Sirnak province, where 12 civilians were killed by Kurdish rebels in late September.
“This is a crime against humanity,” General Basbug, speaking to villagers, as Anatolian News Agency quoted. “We share your grief and we would do whatever we can as the Turkish Armed Forces to heal your wounds. This is our duty.”