I’m a little surprised that the reported hot pursuit of Iraq-based Kurdish separatist militants by the Turkish military is getting as much attention as it has:
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who attack Turkey from bases there, two Turkish security officials said. Turkey’s foreign minister denied its troops had entered Iraq.
Two senior security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, characterized the action as a limited “hot pursuit” raid. They told The Associated Press it did not constitute the kind of large incursion that Turkish leaders have been discussing in recent weeks as Turkish troops built up their force along the border.
One official said the troops went less than two miles inside Iraq and were still there in late afternoon. “It is a hot pursuit, not an incursion,” one official said.
Another official said by telephone it was “not a major offensive and the number of troops is not in the tens of thousands.” He also said the Turkish troops went into a remote, mountainous area.
DEBKA, not the most reliable of sources, has reported that 50,000 Turkish soldiers have crossed the border. I doubt it.
Such incursions as well as bombardment of militant/terrorist camps from the Iranian side have been reported occasionally for the last several years. See here for more details
The story highlights one of the reasons I’ve been quite skeptical of any of the several plans under which the U. S. forces in Iraq re-deploy into Iraqi Kurdistan. Such a military presence while the Kurds continue to tolerate an active program of raids on the part of Kurdish separatists into Turkey and Iran could potentially place the U. S. on the horns of a very unpleasant dilemma? If a major incursion by the Turks takes place do we defend our hosts, the Kurds, and run the risk of de-stabilizing the Turkish government, giving ammo to the Islamists in Turkey or do we allow the Turks free rein in Iraqi Kurdistan and run the risk of wearing out our welcome with our Kurdish hosts?
