Date: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 14:19:34 -0500
From: Robert Malecki <malecki-AT-algonet.se>
Subject: M-G: Baghdad notes fresh Turkish "onslaught" against northern Iraq (fwd)



>On Fri, 5 Dec 1997 
>   BAGDAD, Dec 5 (AFP) - Turkey has launched yet another  
>"onslaught" against northern Iraq just days before the opening of 
>the annual summit of Islamic nations, the official Iraqi news agency 
>noted Friday. 
>   The news agency said it was the 55th such Turkish incursion into  
>Iraqi territory. 
>   It noted Turkish television reports that as many as 20,000  
>Turkish troops had crossed the border backed by armoured vehicles. 
>   The Iraqi government has frequently condemned Turkish incursions  
>into northern Iraq in the past. INA reported no formal condemnation 
>by Iraqi officials. 
>   Turkey said Friday that its troops were launching another major  
>operation against Turkish Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' 
>Party (PKK) who it says are using bases in Iraq to mount attacks on 
>Turkish soil. 
>   The Turkish news agency Anatolia said the latest campaign was  
>prompted by a PKK move to regroup in the Khaqurk area near Iraq's 
>Iranian border after another Turkish army operation in September and 
>October. 
>   Turkish reports said 8,000 fighters from an Iraqi Kurdish  
>faction, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, were taking part in the 
>operation. 
>   It is the third large-scale operation by the Turkish army  
>against the PKK inside northern Iraq since May. 
>
>
>



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