Turkish prime minister warns Iraqi Kurds against seeking control of oil-rich Kirkuk

[sabra]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/16/europe/EU-GEN-Turkey-Iraq-Kirkuk.php

Turkish prime minister warns Iraqi Kurds against seeking control of oil-rich Kirkuk
The Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey's prime minister warned Iraqi Kurdish groups Tuesday against trying to seize control of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Kurdish lawmakers responded by accusing Ankara of interfering in internal Iraqi matters.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey will not stand by amid growing tensions among ethnic Turkmens, Arabs and Kurds in Iraq's oil-rich north. Turkish lawmakers are to discuss Kirkuk and Iraq on Thursday, and Turkey's main opposition party has said it would back a cross-border offensive to quell a Kurdish rebellion.

Iraqi Kurds, who claim the region as their own and hope to eventually include Kirkuk in an enclave of self-rule in northern Iraq, responded by accusing Turkey of interfering in Iraqi internal affairs.

Kurdish legislators in Iraq's parliament "condemn this interference in Iraqi affairs by the Turkish government (and) ... call upon parliament to issue a statement condemning them as well," they said in a statement Tuesday.

[acmavm]

1. Whoops, this is playing out like us traitor liberals said it would.

[Demit]

2. Yup (putting check mark next to another pre-invasion prediction) it's happening.

"Turkey's main opposition party has said it would back a cross-border offensive to quell a Kurdish rebellion." So much for sovereign borders. Looks like the free-for-all is coming.