Turkish incursion into Iraq could trigger regional

Turkish incursion into Iraq could trigger regional turmoil (AFP)

Turkeys incursion into northern Iraq -- its second in three months -- threatens to trigger regional turmoil and destabilise the only peaceful area in the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Ankara launched a fresh military offensive on Thursday into northern Iraqs mountainous region to flush out rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting for a self-rule in southeastern Turkey since 1984.

It is the second incursion confirmed by Turkey since October, when the government won parliamentary approval to unleash the military on PKK guerrillas based in Iraq. Tension between Baghdad and Ankara rose after PKK rebels killed 12 Turkish soldiers in an ambush on October 21.  A similar Turkish incursion in December lasted a few days.

The White House said on Monday it hoped the incursion would be short-lived and not harm civilians, while Baghdad has urged Ankara to withdraw "as soon as possible," saying the ground assault was an attack on Iraqi sovereignty. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told AFP that Baghdad acknowledged the threat the PKK posed to Turkey, but warned that the "operation should not destabilise Iraq and the region."

Neighbouring Iran and Syria also have significant populations of ethnic Kurds. The Kurdish region in northern Iraq is the only area of the war-torn country to see some peace and prosperity since 2003, when US-led forces invaded to overthrow Saddam. Arbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniyah are the only Iraqi provinces where coalition forces do not patrol the streets in a bid to curb the bloodshed that has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis elsewhere.

The five million people who live in the rugged autonomous Kurdish region have enjoyed American protection since 1991, when Saddams troops were defeated in the Gulf War launched after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of northern Iraqs administration, has called the Turkish military strikes a "disaster" for everyone except the PKK.

"We in the Kurdistan region of Iraq would be slowed on our path to peace, democracy and prosperity and the Turkish army would become bogged down in a bloody and unproductive struggle against the PKK outside its borders," he said in December.

Barzani, himself a Kurd, said: "The United States and Western allies would become estranged from a vital NATO ally and the economies and peoples of the region -- particularly Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq -- would suffer." Before the incursion Barzani proposed four-party talks between Ankara, Baghdad, Arbil and Washington to defuse the crisis. "This is a transnational issue, complicated by ethnic ties, and no party can find a solution on its own," he said.

Ankara refuses to talk to Iraqi Kurds because it accuses them of harbouring the PKK rebels. It says an estimated 4,000 PKK rebels are holed up in northern Iraq and use it as a springboard for attacks on Turkey.

The conflict has claimed more than 37,000 lives since the PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international community, took up arms in 1984.

The incursion has left Washington caught between Ankara and Baghdad -- two key allies -- at a time when another key ally in the US "war on terror," Islamabad, is engulfed in deep political crisis. The latest Turkish military operation against the PKK comes at a time when Washington is claiming some success in its efforts to stabilise Iraq, a nation caught between a raging anti-American insurgency and brutal sectarian conflict. Both US and Iraqi officials claim that violence in Baghdad and other volatile regions has been significantly reduced.

Iraqi government figures indicate that civilian deaths across the country in January fell to a 23-month low of 541, reflecting a continued downward trend of violent incidents since June. The figure was down from 568 in December, 606 in November, 887 in October and 840 in September. "There is progress but obviously the Americans do not want any other problem on hand when their military resources are stretched," said Mahmud Othman, a Kurdish member of Iraqs parliament.

The US military has deployed about 160,000 troops to fight anti-American insurgents led by Al-Qaeda in Iraq and to rein in the sectarian bloodshed by targeting Shiite militants. Operations are underway in Baghdad, Diyala, Nineveh, Kirkuk and Salaheddin provinces against Al-Qaeda.

TURKISH ARMED FORCES DO NOT ASK FOR U.S. APPROVAL FOR MISSIONS, LIEUTENANT GENERAL HAM(A.A)

Director for Operations of the U.S. Joint Staff, said Monday "the Turkish military does not ask, nor do -- nor does the United States military provide approval for the missions in north of Iraq. It is not that kind of a relationship."

In a press briefing, Lieutenant General Ham indicated that "the U.S. has asked and the Turkish military has agreed to provide notification so that their operations do not come in conflict with the Multinational Force Iraq's operations inside of Iraq. It is not, again, a situation of approval. They did notify us that it would be of limited duration and of limited depth, and so far, everything we have seen is consistent with that."

"The operation in north of Iraq appears to be what the Turkish military forces said they would do, of limited depth and of limited duration. We have seen nothing to contradict that so far," Ham noted.

"The exact timing of the operation will be decided upon by the government of Turkey. We have asked the government of Turkey to notify us and specifically Multinational Forces-Iraq when they anticipate conducting cross-border operations against the terrorist organization,"  Ham stressed. "I think the secretary of Defense said it best, by stating that the solution to the PKK terrorist problem is not solely a military problem. There is a military aspect to it, but there are other avenues to resolve that difficulty," Ham underlined. Lieutenant General Ham indicated that intelligence sharing between the U.S. and Turkey continues.

IRAQI KURDISH LEADERS SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AGAINST PKK, BURNS (A.A.)

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, said Monday the Iraqi Kurdish leaders should undertake responsibility against the terrorist organization PKK because the terrorist organization has taken shelter in the north of Iraq. The United States sees PKK as a terrorist organization and does not have contact with PKK, Burns told a meeting in a think-tank, the Council on Foreign Relations. Burns said the terrorist organization PKK has killed Turkish civilians and soldiers for years, and the United States has been in close cooperation with Turkey for the recent three-four months to eliminate the terrorist organization PKK. The United States wants to see the Kurdish leaders in Iraq have undertaken responsibilities against the terrorist organization, he told. Burns said his country wants to see improvement in relations between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds, and underlined importance of Ankara's invitation to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani to Turkey.