Kurds 'will fight Turkish raids'

[questionmark]

Kurds 'will fight Turkish raids'

The president of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq has said his people will defend themselves if Turkey attacks Kurdish rebels based in the region.

Massoud Barzani rejected accusations that his government provided cover for Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) fighters.

On Tuesday, the Turkish parliament authorised cross-border raids against the PPK which it blames for attacks on soldiers and civilians in Turkey.

Ankara has said that military action is not imminent.

"We frankly say to all parties: if they attack the region of Kurdistan under whatever pretext, we will be completely ready to defend our democratic experiment and the dignity of our people and the sanctity of our homeland," Mr Barzani said.

He said Iraqi Kurds were not to blame for the actions of the PKK and reiterated a call for Turkey to hold talks with the Kurdish authorities in the regional capital, Irbil.

The government in Ankara has refused to talk directly to the Kurdish regional authority in northern Iraq, insisting all its dealings must go through Baghdad.

Through Baghdad

BBC Baghdad correspondent Ian Pannell says that in reality any attempt to deal with the PKK will ultimately have to go through the Kurdish Regional Government rather than Baghdad, but that would be a step too far for Ankara.

Any direct talks with the northern government would amount to a tacit acceptance that the Kurds in Iraq have precisely the kind of autonomy that the PKK is fighting for in Turkey, our correspondent says.

A Kurdish website has quoted the PKK as saying it will not leave the Iraqi Kurdistan region and is prepared for a confrontation. The source cannot be verified.

On Thursday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called on Kurdish rebels to leave the north of the country as soon as possible, to avoid the area being targeted by the Turkish military.

Also on Thursday, thousands of Iraqi Kurds staged protests against Turkey's threats of invasion in the cities of Irbil and Dohuk.

Full story; Source: BBC

[Moon Monkey]

It seems they were as good as their word:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9B7...A0AD2E27C0E.htm

[ships-cat]

Wow - I thuoght the PKK where light geurilla fighters, but the article claims they used 'heavy artillary' ?

There was a previous post in which a PPK officer claims that they had smashed an Iranian incursion a week or so ago.

Does anyone know much about the PPK ? For that matter, what sort of military does the northen Kurdish region of Iraq have ?

Meow Purr.

[Moon Monkey]

Wow - I thuoght the PKK where light geurilla fighters, but the article claims they used 'heavy artillary' ?

There was a previous post in which a PPK officer claims that they had smashed an Iranian incursion a week or so ago.

Does anyone know much about the PPK ? For that matter, what sort of military does the northen Kurdish region of Iraq have ?

Meow Purr.

The BBC has a quick profile, Wiki or some such probably has more.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7044760.stm

Up to 15 dead Turkish soldiers now:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7055004.stm

[baller87]

Why can't they just give the kurds their own country? Relations among the sh**es and sunni would be so much better in Iraq if you just separate them!