The Turkish Parliament voted 507-19 in favor of allowing the government to begin military operations in Northern Iraq to pursue Kurdish rebels responsible for attacks on soldiers, police and civilians. Turkish officials announced last week that they were preparing to seek parliamentary authority to launch cross-border military operations into Iraq targeting Kurdish separatists, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The military incursion can happen at anytime in the next year.
"We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don't think it is in their interests to send troops into Iraq," President Bush told reporters at today's press conference. He also discussed the U.S. Congress resolution (H.RES.106) declaring the mass killings of Armenians between 1915 and 1923 by the Ottoman Empire as genocide. Read more articles from the Washington Post on both situations on their Tensions Rise in Turkey site.
Read "Turkey Authorizes Military Operation in Iraq: Parliament Votes to Allow Strike Against Kurdish Separatist Rebels" from the Washington Post and "Turkish Parliament Approves Iraq Cross-Border Incursion" from FOX News. You might also want to read "Parliament authorizes cross-border operation against PKK" from the Turkish Daily News and "Turkish MPs back attacks in Iraq" from BBC News.
Want more information? Check out the library's guides on Turkey and Iraq.
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