Turkey’s military and government are fed up with what they see as state sponsored terrorism by Iraq’s Kurds. Turkey has claimed the right to create a militarized buffer zone in Northern Iraq to protects against terrorist attacks from the militant nationalist Kurdish organization, PKK, which Turkey claims has hidden bases across the border between the two countries. Despite the cool response to this proposal by the Bush administration, come hell or high water, Turkey is determined to create that buffer, and is working to accomplish that situation on the ground in Northern Iraq right now (via IraqSlogger):
SULAIMANIYAH, 21 June 2007 (IRIN) – Hundreds of Iraqi Kurds have been forced to flee their homes after up to 30,000 Turkish soldiers massed on the Iraqi-Turkish border and launched attacks against Kurdish fighters, Iraqi border police say.
Local aid agencies said Kurdish fighters had prevented them from entering the villages, which were being targeted.
“The bombardments have forced hundreds to abandon their homes and leave for safer areas. Some houses were looted by Kurdish fighters, according to witnesses in the area,” said Rastgo Muhammad Barsaz, spokesman for the non-governmental organisation Kurdistan Campaign to Help Victims of War.
This is just another consequence of the Iraq invasion and occupation by the US that should have been foreseen (and probably was by someone at the State Department) by Bush’s advisers before he “decided” to kick the Middle East hornet nest which is Iraq. But, hey, when you create your own reality, sometimes you forget that other people can create theirs, as well. So now we have the reality of open border warfare between the Kurds and the Turkish military. Must be nice to be George Bush and know that your mistakes are all simply part of God’s greater plan for Armageddon.
