Tension Mounts Along Turkish Border With Iraq
CIZRE, Turkey — Turkey is running out of patience and will not tolerate the use of Iraqi soil for the purpose of launching terrorist activities, the Turkish president said today ahead of a visit from a high-level Iraqi delegation.
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Turkish commandos patrol an area near the Turkey-Iraq border today in the Kasrik province of Sirnak, Turkey.
The Turkish military, meanwhile, said troops had killed 30 Kurdish rebels who were preparing to attack a military unit near the border with Iraq on Tuesday. The report increased the number of rebels killed since Sunday to at least 64, according to military figures.
Turkey has threatened to stage an incursion into northern Iraq if Iraqi Kurds and American-led coalition forces do not crack down on Kurdish rebels.
"We are totally determined to take all the necessary steps to end this threat," President Abdullah Gul said in a speech opening the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization foreign ministers' meeting in Ankara.
The high-level Iraqi delegation was expected to visit Ankara today after Turkey's top leadership recommended the government take economic measures to force Iraqi cooperation against Kurdish rebels and Turkey considered a possible military cross-border offensive.
Yesterday, Turkish warplanes reportedly pounded rebel positions along the border. An AP Television News cameraman standing at the Habur border crossing today saw a pair of warplanes flying from northern Iraq back into Turkey. It was not clear whether the planes were on a reconnaissance mission.
Several F-16 warplanes were seen taking off from an air base in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir earlier today, local reporters said.
A Kurdish rebel ambush near the border killed 12 soldiers on Sunday. Eight soldiers have been missing since then; the rebels say they are holding them and have distributed photographs and video footage.
The Iraqi delegation visiting today will be headed by Defense Minister Abdul-Qader al-Obeidi and will include a minister of state for national security, Sherwan al-Waili, an adviser to Prime Minister al-Maliki, Yassin Majid, said.
"It will discuss all issues between the two countries. The political choice will be the first solution to solve the crisis. The Iraqi government insists on dialogue and cooperation to solve the crisis," Mr. Majid said.
Iraq already has promised to shut down offices used by rebel bases. But Turkey wants Iraq and American forces to destroy rebel bases and extradite the rebel leadership to Turkey.
