TURKISH PARLIAMENT EXTENDS GOVERNMENT’S AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT OPERATIONS AGAINST PKK IN N. IRAQ

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.10.2008 13:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Turkish parliament agreed to extend the
government’s authority to deploy ground troops and conduct operations
in northern Iraq to crush Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) hideouts
in that country, but Turkey’s experience in the past year has shown
that cross-border operations do not have a huge impact on Turkey’s
fight against terrorism, Today’s Zaman reports.

A bill authorizing the government to launch military offensives in
northern Iraq was passed in October of last year with 507 votes for
and 19 against.

Since then Turkey has conducted ground operations in northern Iraq
only once, but air strikes have been launched many times. An attack
last Friday on the Aktutun military outpost located in Hakkari near
the Iraqi border, taking the lives of 17 soldiers, shows that nearly
a year after Parliament approved cross-border operations Turkey is
still vulnerable to attacks by PKK terrorists.

Yesterday’s vote garnered more support than had been previously
expected with 511 voting in favor and 18 against.

The decision to extend mandate was taken soon after at least three
police officers and one civilian were killed with as many as 20
wounded in an attack on a Diyarbakir police station.