What the hell is going on with the PKK and Turkey?

[bloom]

Iran Offers Co-operation against PKK While US Seems Reluctant

Jan SOYKOK (JTW, Ankara) - Iran says it is ready for any co-operation with Turkey to struggle against the PKK terror organization. In an exclusive interview with Turkish news channel NTV, Iranian Interior Minister Abdulvahid Musavi Lari said, "There is no PKK camp in Iran and we have fully prevented it."

Lari further continued:
"We do not support the relationship between the (Iraqi) Kurdish federation and the PKK in northern Iraq".

Turkey claimed in the past that Iran allowed the PKK to have bases inside its territory and Tehran provided logistical support to the terror group. However Iran, particularly after the American occupation in Iraq, has not given any support to the PKK. Similar to Iran Syria started to combat against PKK.
Lari said that they are ready to help since they believe that instability in neighboring Turkey would also affect Iran. The PKK, with several thousand militants, has recently launched a series of attacks in Turkey, targeting railways and security forces.

IS US RELUCTANT?

While Iran and Syria are ready to combat against PKK terrorism, the voices from Washington have shocked the Turks. Washington has warned Turkey against cross-border raid against PKK into Iraq. The US officials say that Turkey needs to ask the Baghdad Government to make any operation against the PKK terror camps in Iraq. It would be a mistake for Turkey to conduct military operations in Northern Iraq targeting PKK terrorists based in the region, a senior US official said late Monday. However the Baghdad Government argues that the Iraqi Government has no control on Northern Iraq but the Kurdish groups control the region. The Kurdish leaders say that they have no enough power to prevent the PKK in Northern Iraq. There are about 3,000 armed PKK terrorists and military bases in Northern Iraq and President George W. Bush had promised to remove all PKK facilities and terrorists from the region after the Iraq War. Almost nothing has been done since the promise given. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan confirms that the US has done nothing about the PKK.

The PKK is a terrorist organization according to the American laws.

Dr. Sedat Laciner, director of Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO) says the US undermines Turkish-American relations by not keeping its promises. “The main reason of anti-Americanism in Turkey is the PKK issue. Turkish public opinion perceives that the Americans are reluctant in combating against PKK terrorism. Even some of the Turkish people think that the PKK has been supported by the US. I do not think the US supports the PKK or any other terrorist organization in the region. However Washington must understand that there is no difference between El Qaide and the PKK. The PKK cost more than 30,000 lives and still attacks civilian targets. When PKK is bombing Turkish passenger trains or cities, no Turkish Government could fully support American policies in the region” Laciner added.

20 July 2005

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http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=15432

I don't remember ever hearing about this.

[bloom]

1. Bush* promised to do something about the PKK and 30,000 have died

since nothing has been done.

The Turkish are fobidden from doing anything. And nobody else can or will either.

Another part of the Iraq mess.

[hel]

2. PKK is militarily active again

they have the money, they have the political drive, they want to force new Iraq government's hand as well as Turkey's for independence, why shouldn't they?

This will undoubtly cause a lot of unforseen -by the US strategists only- trouble. Turkey is threatening to continue military operations in Northern Iraq already.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. The PKK has been fighting Turkey for decades.

It also fought against Saddam. The assertion made by the mouthpiece of the Turkish government that "there is no difference between Al Quida and the PKK" is selling a load of hot crap. Kind of like saying there is no difference between the ANC or the Sandinistas or the FMLN and Al-Quida.

[hel]

5. Compare methods, and they are the same

PKK used a lot of suicide bombers, as well as bombing malls, murdering civilians, tourists etc. Therefore, no matter whether the cause is just or not, they are both terrorist organizations.

[madeline_con]

4. I don't remember ever hearing about this.

I do. It's been going on for some time.