Officials said the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has
approved a set of diplomatic, economic and military sanctions against Iraq.
They said the sanctions would pressure Baghdad to eliminate the presence of
the Kurdish Workers Party in northern Iraq.
"We will not remain a bystander to their wrong actions," Turkish Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gul said. "Turkey's neighbors should know that if they
wrong us, we shall not let that happen."
Officials said the sanctions were approved by Turkey's National Security
Council. The council, chaired by Erdogan, met in a seven-hour session on
April 10 that focused on the growing PKK threat to Turkey.
Under the plan, Turkey would block shipments of vital goods to Iraq
while warning of additional penalties. Officials said that unless Baghdad
moved to eliminate the estimated 4,500 PKK insurgents, Turkey would close
its borders and launch military operations inside northern Iraq.
On Thursday, Chief of Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said the military,
which sustained nine casualties over the last week, has conducted major
operations against the PKK in southeastern Turkey. Buyukanit said the air
and ground operations were launched during the spring thaw, which enabled
access to the mountains along the Iraqi border.
"From the military point of view, an operation in northern Iraq must be
made," Buyukanit said. "We will succeed in our mission, but there must be a
political will."
The Foreign Ministry has sent Baghdad an urgent message that demands a
halt to Kurdish infiltration and the designation of the PKK as a terrorist
group. Officials said the message could represent one of the last Iraqi
opportunities to resolve the PKK issue without direct Turkish
military intervention.
Officials said Turkey has discussed the anti-Iraqi sanctions with the
United States. They said Ankara presented intelligence that pointed to
cooperation between the PKK and the autonomous Kurdish government in
northern Iraq.
The National Security Council has drafted an outline of a Turkish
military response to continued PKK infiltration from Iraq, officials said.
They said the most likely option was government approval for the military to
pursue PKK fighters into Iraq. They said this has been the minimum demand of
the General Staff.
"The PKK has huge freedom of movement in Iraq," Buyukanit said. "It has
spread its roots in Iraq. There are several large-scale operations under way
in several areas. Our aim is to prevent them from taking positions in the
region with the coming of spring."
