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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran army in new clashes with Turkish Kurds
2004-07-12
Iranian troops killed two Turkish Kurdish rebels in clashes close to the Iraqi border, Tehran dailies said on Saturday, amid reports of a major offensive by Tehran on Ankara's behalf.
That, and the fact the Iranians have their own Kurdish problem.
The latest fighting took place on Thursday near the town of Baneh, in the far northwest of Kurdistan province, some 200 kilometres from the nearest part of Turkey, the papers said. "These people had illegally crossed the border, ruined border villages and extorted money from residents," the Hambastegi newspaper quoted an unidentified official as saying.
Or they were attacking Iranians who were oppressing Iranian Kurds.
The new fighting comes hot on the heels of deadly clashes near the Turkish border between Iranian troops and the rebels from the former Kurdistan Workers' Party, now known as Kongra-Gel. Deputy Interior Minister Ali Asghar Ahmadi said two Iranian soldiers and eight rebels were killed in the June 28 clashes. A pro-Kurdish news agency said 16 soldiers and four rebels died. The Germany-based MHA news agency said Iranian security forces had launched "a comprehensive operation" against the former PKK late last month after the rebels abandoned a five-year unilateral ceasefire with Ankara on June 1. Ahmadi is himself to travel to Turkey on Monday to discuss joint moves to tackle armed groups holed up in the mountainous border region. Turkish defence sources have already hailed what they described as a "large-scale" operation against the former PKK by the Iranian army.
Another example of the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" policy.
Posted by:Steve

#13  I agree with Murat.
The Turksih forces need to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.

I've never felt comfortable having Turkish forces on our flank.... not since about 1950. Defensive genius indeed LOL!

Posted by: Shipman   2004-07-12 1:19:13 PM  

#12  Murat, I’ve watched for over a year as you’ve gleefully posted articles on US soldiers dying. You’ve been very effective at generating anti-Turkey feeling at Rantburg.

Fortunately, I went to school with a Turkish graduate student so you don’t represent all of Turkey to me. I’m aware that Turkey is in a tough political spot. As a secular Muslim country trying to enter the EU and having a large Kurdish minority, it is hard for Turkey to support the US in Iraq. I’m also aware that Turkey has a long history of being a strong US ally.

The US needs Turkey and Turkey needs the US. Nobody needs Murat.
Posted by: Anonymous5032   2004-07-12 12:12:15 PM  

#11  Murat - your back with intelligent posts - actually the only reason turkey is in afganistan is to restablish it's historical influence in the region..
Posted by: Dan   2004-07-12 11:54:27 AM  

#10  ..why are we risking our boys against the alqaeda while the US ignores those PKK thugs.

Ooooh, he wants reciprocal action! Say, what about that second front that we had wanted to open up in Iraq in the north? Did we get any cooperation from Turkey on that?
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-07-12 11:28:46 AM  

#9  Terrorism is a tactic, and I think we need to be against it. Let's Train Arm Equip Clothe and Feed the PKK so they can fight properly.

Everyone would be happier, except Turkey, who turned their back on us when we needed them.
Posted by: flash91   2004-07-12 11:25:26 AM  

#8  Murat,

The US has helped Turkey against the PKK in the past - many times and with both material, satellite intel and humint (the latter passed from Israel).

It is true the US hasn't wiped out the PKK in Kurdistan. That's because we are fully engaged with other terrorists (who we haven't wiped out either). Having said that, the US and the Kurdish parties have put a lid on the PKK. The PKK is being monitored and to some extent controlled and intel is continuously being sent to Turkey.

Ironically, if Turkey would have let the US invade Iraq from its territory we would have neutralized a lot more Baathists and would be able to be more effective against the PKK. So, to that extent, its Turkey's own fault.
Posted by: mhw   2004-07-12 11:12:11 AM  

#7  Well Steve, America has pledged many times to move against the terrorist hideouts of the pkk in Northern Irak, but zip zero nothing has been realised so far. If Iran has the balls to act against those terrorists unlike the US we will hail them ofcourse, is that so hard to understand?

I think Turkey should pull back their troops from Afghanistan, why are we risking our boys against the alqaeda while the US ignores those PKK thugs.
Posted by: Murat   2004-07-12 10:31:14 AM  

#6  Murat, I never said the PKK wasn't a terrorist group, they are. I'm just pointing out the fact that the government of Turkey is hailing Iran for going after one terrorist group and keeping quiet on Iran harboring al-Qaeda groups which bombed your country.
Posted by: Steve   2004-07-12 10:09:09 AM  

#5   PKK is communist as they come and also supports suicide bombings. If they're fighting the mullahs, it's a shame that both sides can't lose.
Posted by: Dan Darling   2004-07-12 10:05:08 AM  

#4  I'm shamefully behind on Kurdish issues, but aren't/weren't the PKK a communist outfit? I wouldn't presume their actions were humanitarian any more than the Iranian forces' were. Too willing to use violence than is necessary. No good guys here?
Posted by: Bulldog   2004-07-12 9:55:47 AM  

#3  Murat,
It is TURKEY, not the US, who is who is praising IRAN. So which is it? Does democratic semi-repressive Turkey have a natural affinity for a dictatorial, repressive mullah ruled Iran, or is this a case of enemy of my enemy is my friend w.r.t Iran?
Turkish defence sources have already hailed what they described as a "large-scale" operation against the former PKK by the Iranian army.

Wasn't it US intelligence who located where the head of PKK was hiding? If so, I welcome your thanks.
Posted by: ed   2004-07-12 9:55:18 AM  

#2  Actually the US (and Israel too for that matter) have helped Turkey (the Turkish Army mostly- much of the info resources bypassed the civilian govt)with material, logistics, satellite intel and other matters in Turkey's action against the PKK.

I don't think the US will help Iran because Iran can't be trusted. However, the PKK isn't going to get anything from the US. Remember the Iraqi based anti-Iran groups (which had both a terrorist component and a political component) have been quashed with US help.
Posted by: mhw   2004-07-12 9:54:13 AM  

#1  So Steve: "enemy of my enemy is my friend", do you mean Iran is enemy of the US, so you can call the terrorist Kongra-gel (aka PKK) your friend?

Your terrorist is good, my terrorist is bad policy? As American policy has always been.
Posted by: Murat   2004-07-12 9:46:08 AM  

00:00