PKK commander warns Turkey his group might abandon cease fire

[sabra]

Source: AP

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: A Kurdish rebel commander warned Turkey Monday that if it does not negotiate with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the group will stop abiding by a cease fire it declared unilaterally and resume cross-border attacks.

Haval Jangawer, a PKK commander speaking by telephone from Qandil Mountains on the border with Turkey, said Iraq's northern neighbor has massed about 60 tanks, artillery pieces and thousands of soldiers near the border with Iraq.

His comments came amid fighting between Turkish troops and PKK fighters, as well as increasing tensions between Turkey and Iraq's Kurds who recently warned their northern neighbor not to interfere in Iraq's affairs or face retaliation from the PKK.

Last week, Turkish chief of the armed forces Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said "an operation into Iraq is necessary." He said the military was conducting several "large scale" offensives against separatist Kurdish rebels in the predominantly Kurdish southeastern region.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/16/africa/ME-GEN-Iraq-Kurds-Turkey.php

[Tempest]

1. Whacking a hornet's nest

It appears the PKK are as intelligent as Bush.

[acmavm]

2. Are they counting on help from the criminal cabal? Do they think that if

Turkey crosses the border the US military will intercede? Are these people not sick and tired of being killed? Are they just plain crazy?

[youngdem]

3. It seems the agitation of Turkey here is coordinated with the same from Northern Iraq

I wonder if they haven't decided that now is their best shot at nationhood. While Iraq is destroyed, Iran is being hawked by Washington for any reason to attack and Syria on the shit list too, those who want to see a Kurdistan probably see their best shot today, and see the Iraqi resistance possibly as their model.

Turkey should tread carefully. They are clearly the superior military here; little good that did us though.

Turkey invades to put down the independence movement, but then what? Occupy northern Iraq? That's gonna be unpopular, to say the least.