On April 20, Turkey's NTV television said the Turkish military has set a
"specific timetable" for the offensive against the Kurdish Workers Party in
Iraq. NTV said the proposed force would attack PKK camps in the Kandil
mountains.
Turkish sources said a force of at least 10,000 troops, backed by main
battle tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, was
being formed for the invasion. They said the operation could take place in
May.
NTV said the military would monitor the PKK insurgency campaign until
May. At that point, the military would be ready to send forces into Iraq.
Over the last two weeks, Turkish military commanders have been urging
the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan to approve an offensive
against the PKK. The commanders were said to have assessed that U.S. efforts
to block PKK activities in northern Iraq failed.
At this point, the Erdogan government has refused to approve the
invasion. Instead, the military was being allowed to operate along the Iraqi
border.
A senior Turkish official, however, discussed the prospect of an
invasion of northern Iraq with the Bush administration. Turkish coordinator
of Kurdish affairs, Adip Bashar, was said to have told the administration
that Turkey would wait till the end of April before deciding on the
invasion.
The Turkish military has assessed that about 500 PKK operatives were in
secret bases in southeastern Turkey. Another 5,000 have crossed into Turkey
from Iraq and were attacking Turkish troops and police.
