Turkey issues veiled warning to Iraqi Kurds after bloody Kirkuk demo

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

ANKARA, Dec 31 (AFP) - 18h17 - Turkey on Wednesday implicitly warned Iraqi Kurds to avoid provoking other ethnic groups in the war-torn country after an anti-Kurdish demonstration in northern Iraq ended in bloodshed.

"Some groups should not be allowed to harm the much-desired atmosphere of peace and national consensus through discourse and acts based on ethnic nationality," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ankara’s warning came after three people were killed and 31 others were wounded when Kurdish gunmen opened fire on a demonstration by Arabs and Turkmens -- a minority of Turkish origin -- in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

The demonstrators were protesting at a push by the city’s Kurdish majority to incorporate the oil centre into an autonomous Kurdish province, a move that has already been rejected by Turkey as a recipe for new tensions.

More: http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=4576

[IndianaGreen]

1. How many times have we seen DUers warn about this, billy?

Ever since the IWR debate last year, we have seen more than our share of articles, and DUer's personal opinions, that any attempt by the Kurds to establish an independent or a federated state in Northern Iraq (with its oil fields) would trigger a military intervention by Turkey.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. Too many times.

If a bunch of amateurs like myself can see so much, it makes one wonder about the abilities or intentions of Shrub's advisers and policy makers.