Turkey Set To Defy US And Hunt Kurdish Rebels

[Purveyor]

Source: Telegraph UK

Turkey's newly elected government is prepared to turn its back on its long-standing alliance with the United States to counter the threat of Kurdish terrorism, one of the closest allies of the prime minister has warned.

Egemen Bagis, foreign policy advisor to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Turkish forces were prepared to mount operations against Kurdish PKK fighters who had taken refuge in Iraq, because the US had failed to intervene.

"We are hoping we will not have to do it. We are hoping that our allies will start doing something, but if they don't we don't have many options," he said.

"Our allies should help us with the threat, which is clear and present. If an ally is not helping you, you either question their integrity or their ability."

A decision to sanction military action might also help to avert a potential clash between the new government and Turkey's powerful army, which is unhappy with what it regards as creeping Islamisation. Last weekend's elections were precipitated by the army's opposition to the AK party's choice of Abdullah Gul, the foreign minister, as its presidential candidate. The generals regard Mr Gul's Islamic roots - and his wife's preference for wearing a headscarf - as a threat to Turkey's traditional secularism.

--EOE--



Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/29/wturkey129.xml

[TomClash]

1. They have already started

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=79556

A group described as four "senior members" of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Partry (PKK) was killed on Friday in a bomb attack at the Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq where PKK terrorists are based, reported the Doğan news Agency Friday evening. The agency did not identify the dead.

[Orrin_73]

2. It is time

the kurdish terrorists have gone too far. First they declared ceasefire and in the meantime they armed themselves (with american weapons) and broke the ceasefire and now have killed hundreds of people. There can be no peace unless the pkk is entirely destroyed.

[comtec]

3. Sadly this is the excuse the EU will need to deny them entry

I know Turkey is hardly the ideal member state. But by doing this they have guaranteed the EU won't let Turkey in. I'm sorry to see that because of all the work they have done so far to make themselves more attractive as a EU member. But this will do them in for sure. Oh well se la vie.

[Orrin_73]

4. comtec EU never considered Turkey as candidate

As a Turk living in Holland I never believed it and now the majority of the Turks in Turkey dont believe in it too. It is better for Turkey to concentrate on far east and the rest of the world. In many EU countries the pkk has representatives and get subsidies for their organizations in those countries while many of the funds are being send to pkk in iraq. Back in the 80's the pkk was funded by the kgb now that is gone the pkk finances its war with drug trade.