Environmentalists Against War

Turkey Invades Iraq

April 14th, 2007 - by admin

Sorcha Faal / What Does It Mean – 2007-04-14 00:35:51

http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1003.htm

Turkey Invades Iraq,
Shoots Down US Fighter
As Iraqi Invasion Begins

(April 12, 2007) — The expected invasion of the Kurdish held lands of Northern Iraq by Turkey (and as we had previously reported on in our March 20th report titled “Turkey Plans Iraq Invasion, Orders All Military Leave Cancelled”) has begun, and as we can read as confirmed by the Assyrian International News Service in their report titled “Turkish Commandos Cross Into Iraq to Destroy Kurdish Terrorist Camps”, and which says:

“The Turkish army crossed 20 kilometers into Iraq in an effort to destroy camps located to the east of Zaho. Elsewhere in northern Iraq security forces went 30 to 40 kilometers in, up to the rural areas of the Haftanin, Sinaht and Pirbela provinces.

Sources from the military confirmed that platoons from the Kayseri province had earlier been deployed near the Iraqi border closer to the terrorist camps in northern Iraq.

Sources said on Tuesday that the army would get to work clearing landmines that could impede them in an over-the-border operation against PKK camps in northern Iraq. To this end a 60-person bulwark team has been formed to clear landmines from Çaly´kan village outside of y´rnak, regions near the Habur border crossing and the area around Hakkari’s Çukurca and emdinli districts.

Security check points have been set up throughout Turkish regions near the Iraqi border by the army in order to cut off access to arms, ammunition or food to terrorists hiding out in the mountains.

Military units have been set up in mountainous regions near the Iraqi border, and while activity in the region has increased over the past week, reinforcements are still being deployed to the area. The military units in place along the border are carrying out constant scanning and patrolling of the area, and reports indicate a large convoy of armored vehicles and tanks on their way to Cizre and Silopi.

It is speculated that in addition to the special force units already placed along the border, another 200,000 soldiers have been moved to the region.”

Turkey’s anger against the Iraqi Kurds was further inflamed this week by the threats leveled against it by the Kurd Leader, and as we can read as reported by Israel’s DEBKAfile News Service in their article titled “Turkish forces drive into northern Iraq to destroy Kurdish PKK rebel bases in Iraqi Kurdistan”, and which says:

“They crossed at several points – 20 km deep to target PKK camps east of Zaho and 30-40 kms up to the rural areas of Haftanin, Sinaht and Pirbela provinces. The Turkish army is also clearing landmines that could impede its cross-border offensive against rebel Kurdish camps. DEBKAfile adds: Ankara accuses Iraqi Kurdistan of harboring the PKK terrorists, allowing them to stage cross-border raids into Turkey and run back for cover.

Earlier this week, Ankara and Iraqi Kurdish leaders swapped threats over the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. Officials in the Turkish capital said Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani’s persistent claim to Kirkuk will lead to the loss of the last trace of stability in Iraq. Barzani retorted: “Turkey is not allowed to intervene in the Kirkuk issue; if it does, we will interfere over Diyarbakir and other cities in Turkey.”

Ankara replied: “Turkey will not hesitate to take necessary precautions so that Barzani can’t even spell the “D” of Diyarkabir (the biggest city in Turkey’s southeastern Kurdish region). Barzani should know his place.”

Turkey has, likewise, been angered by the inaction of the Americans against the Kurdish rebels in Iraq, and as we can read as reported by the World War 4 News Magazine in their report titled “Turks charge US betrayal on PKK; Barzani threatens Turkey”, and which says:

“Thousands of Turkish troops backed by helicopters battled Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) insurgents near the Iraqi border April 8, in clashes that left 10 soldiers and seven guerillas dead. The fighting was centered in the provinces of Tunceli, Bingöl, Bitlis and y´rnak.

In the wake of the clashes, the Turkish press is making much of comments by retired US Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Richard Myers that battling the PKK is not a top US concern. “The fight against PKK, which is not an easy job to handle, does not have high priority in the agenda of the US,” Myers told Voice of America April 7.”

Initial reports of this new conflict from Russian Intelligence Analysts state that American Fighter Jets attempting to counter Turkish Fighter Jets engaged in a ‘brief’ aerial battle which resulted in the loss of one US Air Force F-16, though its pilot was reported rescued. Further reports state that American Military Leaders ‘ordered’ their Air Forces to ‘disengage’ from ‘further contact’ with the invading Turkish forces.

The United States Military, and due to this new conflict, has ordered that all of their Military Forces will be held on duty in their current war zones with no hope of relief to come soon.

US War Leaders have, also, ordered a complete blackout of all news relating to the Turkish invasion of Iraq in fear of further enraging their already war-weary citizens.