Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (Full Version)

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kittinSol -> Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 10:39:46 AM)
As people argue on the Israel thread the Kurds are paying the price of being a persecuted minority: Turkey Launches Ground Operation in Iraq By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA – 38 minutes ago ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Turkish troops launched a ground incursion across the border into Iraq in pursuit of separatist Kurdish rebels, the military said Friday — a move that dramatically escalates Turkey's conflict with the militants. It was the first confirmed Turkish military ground operation in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, and raised concerns of a wider conflict with the U.S.-backed Iraqi Kurds despite Turkish assurances that its only target was the PKK rebel group. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hHDG79AIius7McB6xz3lTQFLIdhQD8UVGS1G0

meatcleaver -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 10:51:35 AM)
Yet another conflict caused by British empire policy. The British purposely didn't give the Kurds a country when they carved up the middle east simply because of prejudice.

Muttling -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 1:40:50 PM)
I must say that I find this quite entertaining given the fact that the shoe is on the other foot with Al Qada in Pakistan. Here we are griping about Turkey chasing rebels who are operating from northern Iraq while we are jonesing to chase rebels into southern Pakistan.

CuriousLord -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 1:49:23 PM)
Poor Iraq. It's so abused. What do the pursued want in this case?

kittinSol -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 2:25:14 PM)
Half of the Kurdish population lives in Turkey - Kurds are an oppressed minority whose freedom of speech, culture and language have been severely hindered by Turkey as well as Iraq - Saddam Hussein notoriously mustard gassed hundreds of thousands of Kurds in Northern Iraq in the early nineties. The history of the Kurdish people is long, complex and anchored in history. It's well worth looking into, as they are too frequently overlooked - and subsequently suffer the consequences of vile policies which seek to destroy them. After suffering mustard gassing in the nineties by Saddam Hussein, the Kurds of Northern Iraq are now being bombed, again, this time by Turkey - the European Union lamely asked Turkey to be cautious in its current bombing campaign. The United States of America offered full support to the Turkish fighter jets which carried out the attack.

CuriousLord -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 2:44:18 PM)
Why the bombing campaign? Are they just trying to kill all the Kurds, or is there something that the Kurds are doing (such as trying to seperate, it sounded like?) that they want stopped?

kittinSol -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 2:53:57 PM)
Yep. There is a Kurdish autonomy party called the PKK. They were supposedly the target of today's bombings. It is a socialist party, which doesn't help its cause. There is a rather large region spot on in the middle of Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria called... Kurdistan.

DomKen -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 2:56:24 PM)
The Turks are chasing a seperatist/terrorist group called the PKK. I've been too busy to look up what provocation the Turks have this time but this is the most recent event in a long series of tit for tat actions carried out by both sides. Turkey's rulers have for decade tried to enforce an ethnically homogenous secular state on their populace. Unfortunately the Kurds are a distinct ethnic group with a seperate language and traditions. Since the end of WWII the Turkish government has systematically tried to eradicate the Kurdish language and culture. Starting in the 70,s, IIRC, the PKK and some other groups started working for Kurdish autonomy and/or independence. Unsurprisingly the Turkish governemnt has mostly wanted nothing to do with such an idea and have stepped up oppression of the Kurds in response. Google "Ibrahim Parlak " for plenty of info on the conflict from both sides.

farglebargle -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 3:19:27 PM)
So, let me see if I understand this: The US embraces the Kosovo secession, but doesn't want the Kurdish Separatists to secede from Turkey/Iraq/Iran?

seeksfemslave -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 3:22:01 PM)
The PKK have been launching military attacks into Turkey for a long time. No country from the worst to the best can standby and let that happen no matter the issue. Whatever your view of Turkey they are "determined" sods and I will be very surpised if they fail in their objectives.

mnottertail -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 3:42:19 PM)
Kurdistan has been trying for an independance since the end of the ottoman empire. I said some time ago, that this was going to end badly. we should have withdrawn to the kurdish territories immediately after we assasinated Saddam Hussein, and let the sunnis and shites at itthen left via Turkey to send them the message. Since the 'surge' has been working so well the civilian casualties are increasing again, and military decreasing just like they did when the troop levels were equivalent a couple few years ago. I mean, that isn't brain surgery, attack the weakest faction, at present it is the collaborators with americans that are in the lesser position. There was a hue and outcry from the cite as law the anecdotal evidence from neo-con sites crowd who are incapable of complex reasoning or reading history books or distrusting that the illustrious administration has some secret pull it out of the ass plan. I said at that time, when the 'wisdom' was that we couldn't not support our 'friendly locals' in the area, because it would turn into a bloodbath should we leave, and we must stabilize the middle east (somehow in these great solutionists minds a large homogenous society of wholly and only crazed and terroristic Islamists) and I of course pointed out that it was certain government historical policy that we would fuck those people in a fucking heartbeat.....and we did and we will continue to do so. I was booed off the stage. Turns out; however..... Ron Oh, yeah, let me point out again, now we are going to find ourselves in a beef with a nato co-signatory if we don't bend over the Kurds and let them be fucked. So that's kinda cute, too. Far as that goes, anyway.

Jeffff -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/22/2008 3:51:21 PM)
While our history as a country is not as long as many others. Fucking people up in a heart beat is what we do. Whether it is the the Indians in the west or South America or the Caribbean. Who can forget our glorious victory in Granada. This is not an anti America rant. I just feel it is wise to recognize the tendency. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Jeff

meatcleaver -> RE: Yay: Turkey pursues Kurdish rebels in Iraq. (2/23/2008 5:16:21 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: farglebargle So, let me see if I understand this: The US embraces the Kosovo secession, but doesn't want the Kurdish Separatists to secede from Turkey/Iraq/Iran? Yes, it would be a joke if it wasn't so serious. Hypocrisy has always governed western foreign policy which is why I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear western politicians talk about the rule of law and civilised values. If the west had civilised values many of the conflicts in the ME wouldn't exist and those that did, wouldn't be impacting on the west.

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