Turkey declares 'security zones' in areas near border with Iraq

[laststeamtrain]

AP:

Turkey has declared several areas near the border with Iraq to be "temporary security zones" in a sign of increasing activity by the military in its campaign against PKK.

The declaration Wednesday came amid a Turkish military buildup on the border, and on the same day as Turkish security officials and an Iraqi Kurdish official said hundreds of Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish guerrillas who launch raids into Turkey. Turkey's foreign minister denied there was a cross-border operation.

The military did not clarify what it meant by "temporary security zones," but some Turkish media reports Thursday said the areas would be off-limits to civilian flights. Others said the zones meant that additional security measures would be implemented, and entry into the regions would be restricted and tightly controlled.

In a statement posted on its Web site, the Turkish military released the coordinates of the areas that would be affected and said the zones would be in place until Sept. 9, but gave no other information.

http://www.thenewanatolian.com/tna-27108.html
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So, Turkey & the Kurds go to war. Where does that put the US?

We've really got some great foreign policy geniuses working on this I'm sure. (makes weird laughing noise through nose).

This is another good reason NOT to have an idiot as president.

That is if 'we' didn't want the entire Middle East to be destabilized.

I am confused...what's the plan?

[izzie]

1. The plan seems to be to turn up the heat

The Middle East is a big mess and I think that it just on the back burner was better for every one. This open fire is killing many but with Bush and his 'plan' I guess we got it all going now. The only people who seem to be making out in this is the arms dealers and the people who like to blow up things.

[CGowen]

2. The plan is called Bernard Lewis

http://www.rozanehmagazine.com/NoveDec05/AZPartVI.html
http://www.rozanehmagazine.com/MarchApril06/AKhuzestan.html

[laststeamtrain]

3. BBC: Iraq condemns Turkish 'shelling'

Iraq condemns Turkish 'shelling'
Iraq has made an official protest to Turkey, accusing it of shelling Kurdish areas in northern Iraq this week.

A protest letter by the Iraqi foreign ministry said the shelling caused widespread damage in northern Iraq.

Turkey has not confirmed any such shelling but it has been building up forces along the border with Iraq.

Speculation grows that Ankara could mount a raid in Iraq on PKK rebels sheltering there who it blames for recent attacks in Turkey.

The Iraqi foreign ministry summoned Turkey's charge d'affaires to voice its protest.

The letter said that said the shelling took place over several hours on Wednesday and early Thursday, starting large fires and causing serious damage.

It said such actions "undermine confidence between the two nations and negatively affect their friendship".

However, it added that Iraq would not allow its territory to be used as a base or a springboard for action against neighbours and any PKK (the Kurdistan Workers' Party) presence was illegal and rejected.

"Iraq would like to take this opportunity to declare its resolve to co-operate with Turkish authorities to allay Turkey's legitimate fears through a constructive dialogue and positive co-operation," the letter said.

The Iraqi protest letter is clearly aimed at keeping the rising tension as an affair to be dealt with between the two states and not between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds, the BBC's Jim Muir in Baghdad says.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6736825.stm
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BBC World Service has been reporting this pretty heavily overnight.