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View Full Version : Turkey Masses 200,000 Troops, Artillery and Tanks On Iraq Border



beltman713
07-13-2007, 07:43 PM
http://www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alertnet.org% 2Fthenews%2Fnewsdesk%2FL13537048.htm

About 200,000 troops in SE Turkey-security sources

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 13 (Reuters) - Turkey's army has boosted troop levels in the southeast to more than 200,000, most of them stationed along the border with Iraq, security sources told Reuters on Friday.

The unusually large-scale buildup, which includes tanks, heavy artillery and aircraft, is part of a security crackdown on Kurdish rebels hiding in southeast Turkey and northern Iraq, said the security sources, who declined to be named.

NATO member Turkey has refused to rule out a possible cross-border operation to crush Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels, despite opposition from the United States and Iraq.

The military General Staff in Ankara was not immediately available for comment on the troop numbers.

The armed forces usually boost troop levels in the spring when PKK rebels based in northern Iraq cross the mountains to carry out attacks against Turkish targets.

But security forces said the current buildup was larger than normal. One source said that in Sirnak province troop levels were as high as 50,000 compared with 10,000-20,000 normally.

Highlighting Turkey's security dilemma, army sources said on Friday two soldiers and two separatist rebels from the PKK had been killed in eastern Turkey during military operations over the past two days.

Dozens of soldiers and paramilitary police have been killed in an escalation of violence in east and southeast Turkey in recent months.

The army has repeatedly urged the government -- which faces elections this month -- to launch an operation against an estimated 4,000 PKK rebels based in northern Iraq.

Amid public anger over the deaths, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has hinted parliament could be recalled to approve an operation but with just over a week before a parliamentary election has made no move yet to do so.

AuGmENTor
07-13-2007, 07:45 PM
I saw this the other day. Somewhere in the article I read it said that it was unconfirmed. I gues it has since been confirmed. What do you think this means?

Gold9472
07-13-2007, 07:53 PM
The U.S. told them not to invade.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22015347-5005961,00.html

beltman713
07-13-2007, 09:03 PM
The U.S. told them not to invade.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22015347-5005961,00.html
We'll have a hell of a mess if they don't listen.

Or should I say, more of a hell of a mess.

PhilosophyGenius
07-14-2007, 12:28 AM
Well Turkey has this big thing about Northern Iraq. Lets hope they don't try to take it or anything. But then again who cares if they do.