Information and liaison bulletin - Institut kurde de Paris
Information and liaison bulletin - Institut kurde de Paris
Information and liaison bulletin - Institut kurde de Paris
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n° 272 • November 2007 <strong>Information</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>liaison</strong> <strong>bulletin</strong> • 5 •<br />
ANKARA: AMERICAN AND TURKISH GENERALS<br />
DISCUSS MILITARY COOPERATION<br />
AGAINST THE PKK<br />
T<br />
HE United States <strong>and</strong> Iraq are<br />
making every effort to dissua<strong>de</strong><br />
Ankara from opening a<br />
second front in Iraqi Kurdis-<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Kurdish authorities. These<br />
meetings between high-ranking<br />
officers of both countries followed<br />
on a meeting in Washington on 5<br />
tan, the only region still spared the November between Turkish Prime<br />
chaos <strong>and</strong> violence reigning in the Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,<br />
rest of the country. The American <strong>and</strong> US Presi<strong>de</strong>nt George W. Bush.<br />
authorities have, however, agreed Some 100,000 Turkish troops have<br />
to supply Turkey with information been <strong>de</strong>ployed along the Iraqi Kur-<br />
regarding the PKK’s positions so distan bor<strong>de</strong>r. Mr. Erdogan, never-<br />
as to enable the Turkish Army to theless stated on 20 November that<br />
carry out specific <strong>and</strong> limited oper- Ankara would not have immediate<br />
ations. In the course of a meeting recourse to cross-bor<strong>de</strong>r opera-<br />
in Ankara on 24 November, senior tions, although authorised by par-<br />
Turkish <strong>and</strong> American military<br />
lea<strong>de</strong>rs discussed cooperation in<br />
liament.<br />
the struggle against the PKK. For his part, on 21 November the<br />
Turkish Presi<strong>de</strong>nt, Abdullah Gul,<br />
The Head of the Turkish Armed welcomed the measures taken by<br />
Forces General Staff, General Yasar the Iraqi Kurds but warned that<br />
Buyukanit <strong>and</strong> the Comm<strong>and</strong>er in the option of military intervention<br />
Chief of US Forces in Europe, Gen- had not been ruled out. The Bagheral<br />
Bantz Craddock discussed dad authorities <strong>and</strong> the Kurds<br />
“cooperation in the joint struggle have announced measures to<br />
against the PKK terrorist organisa- restrict the movements of PKK<br />
tion, including sharing of fighters. “We see that common sense<br />
Intelligence”, indicated a Turkish has, littler by little, started to prevail<br />
Army communiqué. General James in Northern Iraq”, <strong>de</strong>clared Mr. Gul<br />
Cartwright, Vice Presi<strong>de</strong>nt of the to journalists in Tbilisi, shortly<br />
US General Staff, <strong>and</strong> General before a ceremony starting the<br />
David Petraeus, Comm<strong>and</strong>er in building of a railway line connect-<br />
Chief of US Forces in Iraq, had ing Azerbaijan, Georgia <strong>and</strong><br />
already been welcomed on 20 Turkey. Mr. Gul’s statements coin-<br />
November by the Turkish General ci<strong>de</strong>d with the threats of a PKK<br />
Staff’s number two man, General lea<strong>de</strong>r stating that his troops<br />
Ergin Saygun, <strong>and</strong> had already left would create a reign of terror in<br />
Turkey for Iraq for discussions Iraqi Kurdistan if the United States<br />
with the Iraqi central government <strong>and</strong> the Iraqi Kurds started to help<br />
Turkey against the PKK. “If we<br />
wish we can create instability <strong>and</strong><br />
endanger their interests”, <strong>de</strong>clared<br />
Cemil Bayik, quoted by the Firat<br />
News press agency. On 6 November,<br />
Murat Karayilan, another PKK<br />
lea<strong>de</strong>r, for his part called on<br />
Turkey to negotiate with his organisation,<br />
stating that dialogue, not<br />
armed confrontation, was the key<br />
to ending 23 years of struggle.<br />
“These operations <strong>and</strong> attacks will<br />
never put an end to the guerrilla (…)<br />
Do not darken the new century by<br />
confronting the Kurds”, he had<br />
<strong>de</strong>clared to the Firat News agency.<br />
“You (Ankara) insist on our leaving<br />
Iraq. Would that really be a solution?<br />
(…) Our forces are everywhere (…)<br />
We are also present on Turkish soil”,<br />
the PKK lea<strong>de</strong>r had conclu<strong>de</strong>d.<br />
In the course of a press conference<br />
on 20 November, at the end of a<br />
meeting with European lea<strong>de</strong>rs in<br />
Brussels, the Turkish Foreign Minister,<br />
Ali Babacan <strong>de</strong>clared for his<br />
part: “When the time has come <strong>and</strong><br />
when it will be necessary, we will use<br />
all the instruments we have in our<br />
struggle with the PKK (…) Turkey<br />
possesses a certain number of tools to<br />
fight terrorism <strong>and</strong> will continue to<br />
use them. These inclu<strong>de</strong> political dialogue,<br />
diplomatic <strong>and</strong> military tools”.<br />
The Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar<br />
Zebari, who was also in Brussels<br />
nevertheless consi<strong>de</strong>red that<br />
the danger of military intervention<br />
had diminished. Questioned about<br />
these statements, Mr. Babacan welcomed<br />
the political commitment of<br />
the Iraqi Central Government.