BAGHDAD — Turkey has sent troops into northern Iraq, officials said.
Iraqi officials said the Turkish Army sent reconnaissance units to the
Kandil mountains over the last week. The Kandil mountains were believed to
contain about 5,000 fighters of the Kurdish Workers Party. No clashes were
reported.
Turkey had embarked on a military buildup along the border with Iraq, Middle East Newsline reported.
But despite repeated threats Turkey has not ordered an invasion.
"We got some information that there is some movement on the border
between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey, and it seems some Turkish soldiers
entered Iraqi Kurdish villages near Zakho," Fuad Hussein, an adviser to
Kurdish President Masoud Barzani, said.
Officials said the Turkish military appeared to be preparing for a
massive operation in Iraq. They said the United States, including
President George Bush, has urged Ankara to exercise restraint.
"It is obvious that over the last two or three weeks, the Turkish Army
has brought large numbers of soldiers to the Iraqi Kurdistan border,"
Hussein said.
The Baghdad government has examined options to counter any Turkish
military invasion. A senior Kurdish official was expected to arrive in Irbil
to discuss defensive measures.
"The main headquarters of the PKK is inside Turkish territory," Kurdish
Affairs Minister Mohammad Ihsan said. "The Turkish government should solve
its problems within its territory and not violate our territory."
Iran has also been operating against the PKK along the Iraqi border.
Officials said the Iran Army has fired artillery toward Kurdish strongholds
in northern Iraq.
For his part, Hussein expressed confidence that the United States would
not participate in a Turkish invasion of Kurdistan. He said Washington
maintains close relations with the Kurdish government.
"I think one must be realistic if one knows the area and the
relationship between the United States and the Kurdish authorities here,"
Hussein said.
