Last week, the Turkish parliament gave the central government the go-ahead to undertake cross-border operations into Iraq against the Kurdish terrorist-separatist group, the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK.)

The good news is that Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan insists an attack isn’t imminent. The bad news is that a large-scale incursion could have serious consequences for U.S. interests in Iraq.

It’s no surprise the Turks are up in arms. PKK forces based in Iraq have recently attacked both civilian and military targets in Turkey. PKK rebels reportedly killed at least 15 Turkish soldiers and a busload of civilians in the last two weeks.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is under tremendous domestic pressure to do something about the PKK, which may be responsible for at least 100 soldiers deaths this year alone.

Indeed, the PKK is responsible for 600 total deaths last year. Since 1984, when the PKK began its armed push for an independent Kurdish homeland in southeastern Turkey, over 30,000 have died.

And a Turkish incursion into Iraq against the PKK wouldn’t be unprecedented.

Turkish forces have crossed the border a number of times, sometimes in large numbers, in pursuit of the PKK since the conflict broke out.

Just this June, Turkey massed ground forces along the Iraqi border, without the green-light it now has from the parliament, after a spate of PKK killings in Turkey.

For the moment, though, Turkey probably isn’t going to invade. But in the meantime, the saber rattling serves other purposes.

Subscribe to The China Post and save.  Click hereSharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 800 characters max

Receive China Post promos

Respond to this email