Turkish troops invade Iraq?

The_Zergling

The_Zergling

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ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Hundreds of Turkish soldiers crossed into northern Iraq on Wednesday pursuing Kurdish guerrillas who stage attacks on Turkey from hideouts there, Turkish security officials and an Iraqi Kurd official said.

The reports came amid worries Turkey might launch an offensive against the rebel bases, touching off a conflict with U.S.-backed Iraqi Kurds in one of Iraq's most stable regions. The U.S. is urging its NATO ally not to strike, and Turkey's foreign minister denied any incursion occurred.
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Wait, what the hell. Turkish security officials confirm an incursion, but the foreign minister denies it?

One Turkish security official said 600 commandos entered Iraq before dawn after Kurdish rebels shot at Turkish patrols near the Turkish border town of Cukurca. The commandos returned to Turkey later in the day, the official said.

Two other officials said troops went less than two miles into a remote, mountainous area in Iraq.

An Iraqi Kurd security official in the Shanzinan area said 150 Turkish soldiers occupied a mountain about a half mile inside Iraq for an hour and then left. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 200 other Turks staged a similar cross-border operation around the same time in the nearby Sirzeri area.

It was not immediately clear whether the Kurdish official referred to the same raid cited by the three Turkish officials.
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This could be nasty. Turkey obviously doesn't want to see the Kurds in Northern Iraq gain their independence, because of their own internal problem with Turkish Kurds. But then again if Turkey does invade Iraq to quell the insurgents, then there's still the question of how many troops Turkey will send, how far they will go, and how long they will stay. Would Turkey effectively annex northern Iraq?

Not a lot of good options, here. Keep an eye on how many troops the Turks are really sending, how far into Iraq they go, and how long they remain.
 
bigstick61

bigstick61

Junior Member
Not a good sign. The US should definitely resist any invasion of Iraq by Turkish forces. The damage it would cause to that region would significantly hamper US counterinsurgency efforts in the country and rebuilding efforts, and would be detrimental to our campaign there against the insurgency. The US needs to play hardball here; it cannot afford a Turkish invasion, and neither can Iraq; it is contrary to both their interests and they should resist. While it is unfortunate that some of the rebels committ acts of terror, our interests should come first, especially at this point. As for the rebels who do not committ acts of terror, I cannot say that their rebellion is unjustified. If we allow the invasion, it would also seriously damage our relationship with theKurds, which would also ultimately hurt us.
 
S

Spike

Banned Idiot
bigstick61 said:
Not a good sign. The US should definitely resist any invasion of Iraq by Turkish forces. The damage it would cause to that region would significantly hamper US counterinsurgency efforts in the country and rebuilding efforts, and would be detrimental to our campaign there against the insurgency. The US needs to play hardball here; it cannot afford a Turkish invasion, and neither can Iraq; it is contrary to both their interests and they should resist. While it is unfortunate that some of the rebels committ acts of terror, our interests should come first, especially at this point. As for the rebels who do not committ acts of terror, I cannot say that their rebellion is unjustified. If we allow the invasion, it would also seriously damage our relationship with theKurds, which would also ultimately hurt us.
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Turkey is part of NATO and has been an American ally for decades. If it actually invades, the US will be in a near impossible situation diplomatically.
 
bigstick61

bigstick61

Junior Member
I think the US should do what is in its own best interests. If the US does no do much or does nothing, the damage done will be out of proportion to any good recieved by far, and this we cannot afford. The other option isn't great, but at least a bit more good comes out of it than harm. It is a very difficult situation indeed, but ultimately our intersts, from our perspective, must take priority.
 
crazyinsane105

crazyinsane105

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A Turkish invasion of Northern Iraq will probably touch off a small regional war. Syria and Iran also have concerns about an independent Kurdistan as well as Iraqi Sunnis and Shias alike. I've read that Turkey has mobilized anywhere between 30,000 to 200,000 troops along the border. All that is needed is a Black Hawk Down incident and Turkey will go all the way to Kirkuk. And above all that, Iran and Syria will by no doubt take advantage of it...
 
The_Zergling

The_Zergling

Junior Member
Iraq protests at Turkish shelling of Northern Iraq

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ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Turkey's army heavily shelled Kurdish rebel targets just inside the border of northern Iraq on Wednesday, Kurdish officials said on Thursday.

Iraq's government condemned the latest shelling of its semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and urged Turkey to hold talks to resolve Ankara's concerns about rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who are based in the border area.

Jabar Yawer, deputy minister for security forces in Iraq's Kurdistan, said about 100 shells were fired around the town of Zakho in northern Iraq. No one was hurt but many residents were forced to flee, he told Reuters.

The barrage followed the killing of three Turkish soldiers when their vehicle hit a rebel landmine near the border with Iraq, he said.

...

Turkey, which never comments on reports it has carried out such military action, accuses PKK militants of using bases in the mountains of northern Iraq to strike at its forces.

The PKK took up arms against Turkey in 1984 with the aim of creating an ethnic Kurdish homeland in the country, home to up to 15 million Kurds. More than 30,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

The Iraqi government, without specifying dates, said it "regrets Turkish military operations that are using artillery and war planes to bomb Iraqi border villages and cities in Dahuk province".

"The Iraqi government calls on Turkey to stop these operations to return to dialogue and understanding," the statement said.
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Thought I'd post an update to this thread.
 
Neutral Zone

Neutral Zone

Junior Member
The irony of course is that since the fall of Saddam Kurdistan has been relatively peaceful and stable. If the situation deteriorates what realistically could America do about it? A large portion of the U.S. army is in central Iraq committed to operations there and couldn't be redeployed without causing the situation in that region to flare up again.
 
Costas 240GD

Costas 240GD

Junior Member
They can still use the USAF to pound turkish forces as they roll into Iraq, thus providing air support to the Peshmerga on the ground. That way, plus the redeployment of some Apache and Kiowa Warrior helicopters, any offensive into Iraq would be stymied with heavy losses to the aggressor.
 
bd popeye

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
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Costas 240GD said:
They can still use the USAF to pound turkish forces as they roll into Iraq, thus providing air support to the Peshmerga on the ground. That way, plus the redeployment of some Apache and Kiowa Warrior helicopters, any offensive into Iraq would be stymied with heavy losses to the aggressor.
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Probaly won't happen. Remember there are still US forces stationed in Turkey. What a quagmeier that situation would turn into.
 
D

Deleted member 675

Guest
bd popeye said:
Probaly won't happen. Remember there are still US forces stationed in Turkey. What a quagmeier that situation would turn into.
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Surely that would also stop Turkey invading Iraq to begin with. There's also the fact the US could just cut off its supply of ammunition - I doubt Ankara would find anyone else willing to help it out in that area.
 
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