Turkey Said To Attack Villages Inside Iraq

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Turkish helicopter gunships attacked abandoned villages inside Iraq today, Iraqi officials said, the first such airstrike since border tensions have escalated in recent months.

It also was the first major Turkish action against Kurdish rebels since Prime Minister Erdogan met President Bush in Washington earlier this month. America and Iraq have pressured Turkey to avoid a large-scale attack on rebel bases in northern Iraq, fearing such an operation would destabilize what has been the calmest region in the country.

Meanwhile, Kurdish guerrillas killed four Turkish soldiers in a clash today in southeastern Turkey, the Turkish defense minister, Vecdi Gonul, said.

More than 50 Turkish troops have been killed in a series of hit-and-run attacks by Kurdish rebels since late September. Turkey says it has killed dozens of rebels.

An Iraqi Army officer who supervises border guards, Colonel Hussein Tamir, said the airstrikes occurred before dawn on abandoned villages near Zakhu, an Iraqi Kurdish town near the border with Turkey. There were no casualties, he said.

A spokesman for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, corroborated Mr. Tamir’s account of the airstrikes, and said sporadic clashes had been taking place inside Turkey since late yesterday. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.

Witnesses said the Turkish bombing lasted half an hour in the villages of Nazdori, Kashani, and Baashish.

“I was on the other side of the mountain when I heard huge explosions and could smell TNT powder all over the area,” a shepherd, 53-year-old Irbahim Mazori, said.
American authorities have agreed to share intelligence about positions of Kurdish rebels with Turkey, possibly enabling the Turkish military to carry out limited assaults.

“The United States has declared the PKK as the common enemy. The struggle against this enemy will be maintained until it is eliminated,” Mr. Erdogan told lawmakers in Parliament today.

Tens of thousands of Turkish troops have massed in the country’s southeast ahead of a possible operation in Iraq.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use