December 16, 2007
BBC News

Turkey Planes Bomb Northern Iraq

Large numbers of Turkish fighter jets have bombed suspected Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq, reports say.

Turkish officials said the warplanes had targeted the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in areas near the border.

But officials in northern Iraq said the planes had struck several villages. There were reports that one woman was killed, although this was unconfirmed.

Turkey's deputy prime minister said more strikes against "terrorists" were possible in the coming weeks.

"We, as the government, are resolute to remove this trouble from the agenda of our country," Cemil Cicek told the state-run Anatolia news agency.

Mr Cicek also called on Kurdish militants to lay down their arms and return to their homes, insisting their fight was futile.

Turkey has regularly targeted the PKK inside Iraq in recent months, but this is thought to be the first fighter jet raid outside its own territory.

Previous strikes had used artillery or helicopters. . . .

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Ann Scott Tyson and Robin Wright, "U.S. Helps Turkey Hit Rebel Kurds In Iraq: Intelligence Role Could Complicate Diplomacy," Washington Post, December 18, 2007

Damien Cave, "Iraq Leaders Denounce Bombings by Turkey," New York Times, December 18, 2007

Patrick Cockburn, "Turkish troops cross Iraqi border after US-approved bombing raids," Independent, December 19, 2007

Yossi Melman, "Report: Israeli crews manning UAVs in Turkish operations against Kurds," Haaretz, December 28, 2007

Patrick Cockburn, "The new invasion of Iraq: Up to 10,000 Turkish troops launch an incursion which threatens to destabilise the country's only peaceful region," Independent, February 23, 2008

"Iraq says Turkish forces have ended incursion," AFP, February 29, 2008

[The United States on Sunday opened its first ever consulate in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, a symbol of the normalization of U.S.-Iraqi relations as U.S. military forces withdraw, as well as a recognition of the dynamic growth of the Kurdish economy.

At the second such event in less than a week, following dedication of a similar mission in Basra, the southern oil hub, U.S. Ambassador James Jeffrey said America's "fondest wish" is that a "strong and vibrant Kurdistan region" within a democratic and federal Iraq "arise from the tragic history of this region."--Roy Gutman, "U.S. opens Kurdistan consulate as Marriott announces hotel," mcclatchydc.com, July 10, 2011]