Stay out of northern Iraq, US tells Turkey

[bemildred]

WASHINGTON has warned Turkey that the US opposes any attempt by Istanbul to pursue separatist Kurdish rebels into northern Iraq.

The statement came a day after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his security forces were drawing up such plans.

---

The US statement, issued by its embassy in Ankara, said Turkey had a right to defend itself against Kurdish rebels but warned against unilateral action across the border.

Mr Erdogan said: "There is no point in endlessly discussing the issue. Our security forces are getting on with their task. Whatever steps need to be taken will definitely be taken."

This is especially ironic in light of the Lebanon crisis.

The Australian

[Ian David]

1. Yeah. Because Freedom already marched there. n/t

[theanarch]

2. Ironic? Just ironic?

More in the vicinity of outright, fucking HYPOCRITICAL.

[Charlie Brown]

3. I guess Turkey cannot "defend itself" the way Israel can nt

[still_one]

16. Actually it is exactly parallel

[High Plains]

20. Except Turkey hasn't destroyed a country over a couple of soldiers.

[still_one]

22. Their are major problems going on right now because of it

and troops are lining up on the border

Turkey is under a tremendous amount of pressure by its people to stop the attacks

[yellowcanine]

4. Ye reaps what ye sows.

[Robbien]

5. Hey Turkey, BushCo has already invaded and occupied Iraq

Cowboy Bush says Hands off and go find someone else to invade, this one is mine.

[Mojambo]

6. Man, U.S. policy in the ME is all twisted up like a pretzel. n/t

[Monkeyman]

7. But they say its getting better ya right

[DoyBoy]

15. Let's hope Bush chokes on this one too.

:evilgrin:

[Bretttido]

29. These morAns from PNAC thought the US was so powerful it could

meld the middle-east into whatever they wanted. Think again chumps, you just sent the region into further chaos.

[IndianaGreen]

8. It is because the deteriorating situation in Iraq and the war in Lebanon

that the US is powerless to do anything if Turkey decided to kick Kurdish ass. This may be a good thing for Iraq. Once the Kurds realize that they cannot depend on America for protection, they may decide to start working together with the other ethnic and religious groups in Iraq, rather than antagonize them.

The Kurds will know that the US won't protect them from the Shia if they decided to do something about Kurdish independence aspirations.

Kurds should be happy with what they got, an autonomous region in which sharia law does not rule, but they need to do something to curtail the anti-Turkish activities of the radicals among them.

[bemildred]

13. Yep. Chaos looms. nt

[Lefty48197]

9. I think the Turks should stop occupying the future Kurdistan.

The part in Iraq AND the part in Turkey.

[IndianaGreen]

18. Kurdistan is a pipe dream

None of the countries with Kurdish populations will allow themselves to be Balkanized by their Kurds. Iraq won't allow it. Iran won't allow it. Syria won't allow it. Turkey won't allow it.

The Shias in Iraq have already said that they won't permit Iraq to be partitioned, and they have the muscle to enforce it. The Sunnis have a grudge against the Kurds for the way the Kurds treated the Sunnis after the fall of Saddam. Turkmen are pissed at the Kurds for the shabby way the Kurds have treated them.

The Turkomans of Iraq originally came from central Asia, in a migration that took place over several hundred years, beginning in the 7th century AD. Today, slightly more than two million Turkomans are believed to live in Iraq (mainly in the area shaded blue on the map below). They are Turkish speaking and almost all are Muslims, though there are also about 30,000 Christians.



http://www.al-bab.com/arab/background/turkoman.htm

[Alameda]

38. Turkmen of Iraq

Nice map and link, thanks

:hi:

[Alameda]

36. future Kurdistan.?

This is a sarcastic message, right? You really can't be serious with this. The problem is with the Kurdish separatists, not Kurds.

[BillZBubb]

10. Oh the hypocrisy! Turkey can't "defend itself".

When you have idiots running the country, this is the pretzel logic that follows.

[daleo]

11. Turkey has a right to defend itself

But not the same rights as Israel.

I doubt if Bush could stop Turkey now.

[rodeodance]

19. but not cross the border (only Israel can do that).

.....The US statement, issued by its embassy in Ankara, said Turkey had a right to defend itself against Kurdish rebels but warned against unilateral action across the border.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BrotherBuzz]

14. Let's see, how many rules did you break in just one post?

As Pat's buddy, McLaughlin says, "Bye, bye" :rofl:

[AliceWonderland]

17. Duh

While Turkey is not quite filled with sub-humans, they are close. If the average Arab has the worth of 3/5 of a person (though the ratio of dead would say it's really 1/10 -- I'm just being open minded), Turkey might comprise of those 4/5 of a person.

World politics for beginners.

Gosh, it's hilarious that the usual suspects won't touch a post like this.

[leesa]

21. Yup. Separate rules for Israel. Israel has a right to defend themselves,

but not Turkey. Where's the overwhelming Congressional resolution approving their right to invade Iraq??

[Laughing Mirror]

23. If Turkey is not willing to go along with our God-given right to steal ...

all the resources and rain terror down on their country for the ultimate goal of controlling the entire Middle East, well then we'll just have to invade Turkey and take it over too. There's no other solution.

Yes our troops are already stretched thin, we know. Stretch them some more. Plenty of senior citizens with skills & dwindling retirement checks are eager to get in on the action. Some already are. And think of the millions more poor Americans who could be tempted to start a war with Turkey on the mere promise of "benefits" they may not ever get. Then think of the multitudes of poor even poorer in Latin America. Certainly the pastures are still more greener once they over cross the border into the trap, the welcoming open arms of what once used to be the US. Surely they'll help us cross the border to take over Turkey too, in exchange for working papers... We've already got Egypt & Israel, Jordan & Iraq, Saudi Arabia & co.& we're working on Iran and Syria by way of Lebanon. What's keeping us from knocking over Turkey too?

[PurityOfEssence]

24. Or else what?

What will we do, and how? (Not to mention "with whom?"...)

[warrens]

25. Turkey: Are we supposed to rely on you incompetent morons?

Get rid of Bush, put in a competent president capable of maintaining some semblance of order in Iraq, and we MIGHT think twice about invading. Otherwise, fuck off.

[chookie]

26. This is about water and oil

When Iraq is divided, the Kurds will have land that includes a portion of the Tigris and the Euphrates. They will then be able to sell it to those in the region who have need of it.

They will also have control of vast oil reserves, which, again, they will be able to sell to those in the region who have need of it.

The US is going to make sure these deals go through -- Turkey's security problems be damned.

[theHandpuppet]

33. Bingo!!

You've hit the nail on its proverbial head.

[goforit]

27. "Pre-emptive rights only for me and my buddy, Israel", faux prez of US!

[Spazito]

28. I am trying to find words that are adequate to describe what is going

through my mind on reading this but words fail me, I can only express it this way:


:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: added to :wtf: :wtf: :wtf: which is added to :argh: :argh: :argh:

[Roland99]

30. Isn't it IRAQ'S job to tell Turkey to stay out?! I mean, Iraq is SOVEREIGN

:rofl:

[VegasWolf]

31. Or else what, Bush? You gonna huff and puff again like NK? nt

[maxrandb]

32. Let me see if I get this straight

The US, is perfectly justified to invade a country 10,000 miles away that had not attacked us, posed no threat to our land, controlled no air space, controlled no sea-lanes, had no air force or navy to speak of, and had harmed none of our citizens, but Turkey, who has "real-life" terrorist right next door that are attacking Turkish citizens on Turkish land, can't do anything??

Who is it that opened this whole "pre-emptive" Pandora's Box?

[JackNewtown]

34. Does Turkey have its own AIPAC?

There are some things money can't buy; apparently the right to defend yourself isn't one of them...

[HuffleClaw]

35. yes yes, only ISRAEL is permitted to attack its neighbors with impunity.

what a crock. but seriously, what is bush gonna DO to stop 'em? yell 'stop' ?

[donkeyotay]

37. I'm the Decider. No, wait, I'm the Recider. No, I'm the Divider. Wait...

Yesterday, Preznit sez, Turkey has a right to defend itself.
Today US issues a clarifying statement that Turkey can defend itself, but not like Israel by crossing a border.
Tommorrow will someone ask the whatever-in-chief whether or not Turkey has a right to protect itself with preemption like we did? If Turkey can preempt, can it only preempt itself at home?

And George thought being the President was hard work, now he's going to have to tell the whole world what to do. I'm waiting for them to return the favor.