(Iraq's) Foreign minister says Turkey has 140,000 troops on border with Iraq

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Foreign minister says Turkey has 140,000 troops on border with Iraq

Published: July 9, 2007

BAGHDAD: Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border
with northern Iraq but so far there has been no violations,
Iraq's foreign minister said Monday.

Hoshyar Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's
military for the government to give it the green light to
carry out military operations in northern Iraqi against the
rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

"Turkey is building up forces on the border. There are 140,000
soldiers fully armed on the border. We are against any military
interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said
during a news conference in Baghdad.

He said that any problem should be solved through dialogue
adding that "Turkey's fears are legitimate but such things can
be discussed."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/09/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-Turkey.php

[Jacobin]

1. Is Turkey part of NATO?

If so, it may be that we will have to bomb ourselves in Iraq to honor our treaty commitments.

With 18 months to go in Commander Bunnypants reign of terror, I'm afraid to read the news

[Brundle_Fly]

6. Turkey is the only "Muslim"

Country in NATO. They wanted to enter the EU as well, I don't know if that was ratified.

[Kagemusha]

12. Most definitely was not ratified

France isn't interested in letting those heathens into the union, for one. (edit: :sarcasm: though that is how some in France view the matter.)

[Jim__]

8. If we do have to bomb ourselves ...

maybe we can get NATO to re-imburse us for that bombing. Echoes of Milo Minderbinder.

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Gulp!

This is soooo not needed right now.:(

[whistle]

3. Sounds like Turkey wants to annex Northern Iraq

[Tempest]

13. Why would Turkey want Northern Iraq?

They see the folly of trying to control a region that doesn't want to be controlled.

Turkey wants the PKK destroyed and attacks in their country stopped.

[roamer65]

15. Oil.

They don't want all of that oil revenue falling into the hands of a Kurdistan government. They want it for themselves.

[TexasLawyer]

16. Yes-- Kurds enriched with Kirkuk oil money

is a recipe for instability in Turkey. The scenario that is unfolding now one of the many very forseeable reasons why invading Iraq was a BAD idea.

[Tempest]

17. I don't buy it

If Turkey wanted the oil in the Kurdish region, they would have never given up control of the area in the first place.


I have two cousins working in the Turkish government (yes, I'm a Turkish immigrant) and they have never mentioned wanting Iraq's oil. And they tell me just about everything that's going on.

[cliss]

24. I think so, too.

From what I understand, almost all the oil deposits are in a very small area in Iraq. The north. That's where the oil is. In the meantime, we're a little bogged down in Baghdad and other places.

Meanwhile, TURKEY moves in and grabs the prize. Wouldn't that just drive them bonkers in Washington? After we bankrupted ourselves in the Big Oil Grab??? They just walk in & take it.

[DemReadingDU]

4. MSNBC link

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19676021/

[Brundle_Fly]

5. 140,000 Troops

To pacify the north of Iraq.

At least they know the numbers they'd need to do it properly.

[sybylla]

14. Yeah. I haven't looked lately, but

that seems to me to be more than we have over there total. And for Turkey that's just to guard a border!

[Jim__]

7. That's not good news - not good news at all. - n/t

[annabanana]

9. So. Are we going to go to war with Turkey to defend our vision for Iraq?

How messy is this.

Those stupid myopic neo-cons & their opportunistic oil thieving pals have SO stuck their fist in the hornets nest for us, haven't they.

[bdamomma]

10. yea, apparently Turkey is supposed be our ally.

ha, and Turkey is trying to get into the EU, kiss those thoughts away if they do this.

[Massachusetts]

11. Turkey is intent on kicking the "stuffing" out of the Kurds in Northern Iraq

just a matter of time. tick, tick, tick.....

[Tempest]

18. Turkey just wants the PKK to stop bombing their country

If it means kicking the stuffing out of the Kurds in Iraq who are sheltering the PKK, so be it.

[Javaman]

19. The PKK would stop bombing the turks if the turks would halt their multi-decade long

ethnic cleansing of the kurds in eastern turkey.

Which basically has been going on since the close of WW1.

Turkey, formally the Ottoman Empire lobbied hard with the Brits to cut out the Kurds from having their own nation at the end of that war.

It's been a very long dispute. With the Kurds on the short end of the stick.

[Tempest]

20. The Kurds have been starting armed rebellions since the 1920s

The Kurds have been starting armed rebellions against Turkish governments since the 1920s.

Turkey has responded to the violent attacks.

Perhaps the Kurds should stop their armed rebellions and work within the political system.

[Javaman]

23. And why did they start the armed rebellion?

Because they were marginalized after WW1 and not given their own nation, which they had up until the Ottoman empired decided to kill them all in the 17th century. See how it works? nothing falls out of the blue.

if you are trying to paint turkey as being innocent, I suggest you actually read history instead of promoting the propaganda.

[ohio2007]

21. Wake me up when September ends....

let them take back a slice of their Ottoman empire while the Persians should reoccupy their lost lands that those pesky Greeks stole from them.

[ohio2007]

22. Syrian Troops Penetrate 3 Kilometers into Lebanese Territories

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/story/549222D25BBD134FC225730F001D7083?OpenDocument
snip
sources said Syrian troops, backed by bulldozers, were fortifying positions "in more than one area" along the Lebanese border, erecting earth mounds and digging "hundreds" of trenches and individual bunkers.

snip
Seems everybody is looking to get into the next real estate "boom" and looking out for their best interests;

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/Lebanon/49BFA5EBBA617DBFC22573100034D124?OpenDocument