Turkish military: Up to 160 PKK terrorists killed in air raids

[Saithan]

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has said it killed an estimated 145 to 160 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and injured at least 100 in 21 sorties it has conducted in the past three days on suspected PKK targets.


The TSK said in a statement released on Monday that Turkish jets conducted what it called “21 effective sorties” between Aug. 25 and 28 in northern Iraq, targeting PKK camps in the Zap and Gara regions.

The military also said before the air raids that Turkish intelligence aerial vehicles had identified possible PKK targets between Aug. 23 and 24.

The statement added that 38 targets were also heavily shelled in coordination with an air raid during the cross-border operation in the same period.

The military insisted that all targets were carefully pinpointed through repeated reconnaissance flights before being hit and that the military had taken the necessary precautions to avoid civilian casualties.

The military said last Tuesday that air strikes on suspected PKK targets in northern Iraq from Aug. 17-22 had killed an estimated 90 to 100 terrorists and warned that it would press ahead with offensives against the terrorist group both inside Turkey and across the border.

In addition, the military said during this period that terrorist camps within Turkey were also targeted in air and land raids, adding that military operations against the PKK will continue both in Turkey and northern Iraq.

Edit: sorry forgot source : http://www.todayszaman.com/news-255...o-160-pkk-terrorists-killed-in-air-raids.html

 

[fd24]

Thanks Saithan - whats the source please

 

[RedBeard]

Iraqi Kurds: Turkish warplanes bomb PKK targets in Iraq

05 September 2011, Monday / REUTERS WITH TODAYSZAMAN.COM, DIYARBAKIR



Turkish war planes bombed terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in Iraq on Sunday, while in southeast Turkey the terrorists killed two soldiers and two village guards in separate weekend attacks.

The Turkish air strikes hit targets in the Soran district, according to a report on the website of a Kurdish party led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) website had no details of casualties or damage.

Air strikes in recent weeks have fueled tensions between Turkey and Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Between 145 to 160 terrorists were killed in air and artillery strikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq in August, Turkey's armed forces said.

On Saturday, Turkey's southeastern neighbor Iran said its troops had killed or wounded 30 members of the PJAK (Party of Free Life of Kurdistan), an offshoot of the PKK.

The PKK has said it believes Turkey and Iran are coordinating attacks in the region and says it will join forces with the PJAK in response.

The recent wave of cross-border air strikes came after the PKK killed more than 40 Turkish security personnel in July. Two village guards were killed on Sunday, according to security officials. They had been on patrol in the mountainous southeastern province of Hakkari, which borders Iraq.

Two soldiers were killed in a PKK attack on Saturday in the eastern province of Tunceli, where PKK terrorists have been active in recent months. The soldiers were hit while patroling in the rural Geyiksuyu area, state-run Anatolian news agency reported, quoting a statement by the provincial governor's office.


Iraqi Kurds: Turkish warplanes bomb PKK targets in Iraq

 

[RedBeard]

Two Kurdish rebels killed in clashes

09 October 2011 | 22:17 | FOCUS News Agency


Istanbul. Two Kurdish rebels died in clashes with the Turkish army in southeast Turkey, Anatolia news agency quoted an official as saying on Sunday, cited by AFP.

Soldiers conducted a seven-day operation against the rebels in Hakkari province near Iraqi border, Hakkari governor's office said in a statement carried by Anatolia.

The bodies of two Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members were found in the area after the clashes, the statement said. Soldiers also obtained tonnes of material including artillery and guns, it added.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international community, took up arms in Kurdish-majority southeast Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives.


Two Kurdish rebels killed in clashes - FOCUS Information Agency

 

[Saithan]

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 11 / Trend E.Kosolapova /

The Turkish security forces destroyed the largest separatists camps of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) located in the Hakkari province on Oct.10, the Milliyet newspaper reported.

The security forces destroyed all ammunition, food and medical equipment of the PKK terrorists.

The Turkish Air Force's planes also bombed the camp. Terrorists were killed as a result.

Kurdistan Workers Party was set up at the end of the 1970s with the support of the Soviet Union. Despite the fact that originally it was known as a political party, since 1980s PKK members completed terrorist acts in the territory of Turkey against innocent civilians and military targets. Many countries see PKK as a terrorist organization. Its basic purpose is to create an independent Kurdish state on the southeast of Turkey, where Kurds predominantly live.

Turkey has recently initiated an active struggle against terrorism. The Turkish Air Forces threw blows at Kurdish rebel positions in northern Iraq.

Air strikes were conducted after a militant terror attack in southeastern Turkey on Aug. 17, in which nine Turkish servicemen were killed. These were the first strikes by Turkey in northern Iraq in more than a year.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has continued for more than 25 years, claiming over 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by both the UN and the EU.
PKK militants have previously threatened Turkish authorities with intensified armed conflict if concrete steps are not taken to address long-term Kurdish problem.

source: http://en.trend.az/regions/met/turkey/1943063.html

 

[RedBeard]

Maliki says Iraqi troops best option to push out PKK terrorists



11 October 2011, Tuesday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM ,

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki


Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday that sending Iraqi troops to the north of Iraq was the best option to push out Kurdish terrorist organizations the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and PJAK who have hidden for years in Iraq's mountains, drawing shelling and airstrikes from Turkey and Iran.

"Logic says the way to end their presence, to end the Turkish and Iranian intervention in Iraqi affairs, is sending troops or creating enough Iraqi measures to prevent their presence on Iraqi territory," Maliki told Reuters

"When and how we send them depends on our military capabilities and the nature of our situation, when there will be opportunity we will be there."

Turkey has this year carried out scores of air raids and artillery strikes on northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish area to hit PKK targets. Ankara has warned it could carry out a cross-border ground attack, depending on talks with Iraq.

Iraq summoned Turkey's ambassador to demand a halt to airstrikes in August after a Turkish strike killed seven Iraqi civilians. PKK members have stepped up attacks after the collapse in efforts to end their 27-year-old conflict.

Maliki also encouraged Syria to open up its political system to end one-party Baath rule as part of reforms in the face of months of popular protests.

Maliki's comments about his neighbor came as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad faces increasing international condemnation and sanctions over a crackdown on protests that the United Nations says has killed more than 2,900 people.

Iraq's Shi'ite-led government says it seeks balance in its relations in the Arab region, but its approach to Syria has been caught between supporting Damascus, an ally of Shi'ite power Iran, and concern over unrest spilling over into Iraq.

Maliki, who lived in Syria until he returned to Iraq after the 2003 invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, has taken a more muted approach to the Syrian crisis than Sunni Arab leaders.

"Certainly, we support the idea of ending one-party rule, rule by one person," he said when asked about what reforms were needed in Syria.

"I say openly that we support the idea of states that come from the people, states and governments appointed by the people, not those appointed behind closed doors."

Assad belongs to the minority Alawite sect, a distant offshoot of Shi'ite Islam and his family holds absolute power, commanding the Baath Party and security apparatus.

Baghdad's ties with Iran have improved since the 2003 invasion. Ties with Damascus also have strengthened since last year and the two countries this year signed a trade agreement to ease the transit of goods across their border.

Iraqi Shi'ite leaders are concerned over turmoil in Syria bringing a hardline Sunni leader to power should Assad fall. Last month Maliki warned about regional fallout from a Syrian collapse should there be a change based on sectarian lines.



Maliki says Iraqi troops best option to push out PKK terrorists

 

[RedBeard]

Turkey determined to fight PKK, Davutoğlu tells Iraq's Zebari


13 October 2011, Thursday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu (R) and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari talk to the media during a news conference in Ankara on Oct. 13, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Thursday reiterated Turkey's determination to fight the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which also has bases in northern Iraq, after talks he had with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

Speaking during a joint press conference with the Iraqi minister at the Foreign Ministry, Davutoğlu said a main item on the agenda during the meeting was the cooperation of the two countries against the PKK. Noting that an Iraq-based terrorist formation against Turkey poses a threat for both Turkey's and Iraq's territorial integrity, Davutoğlu said Turkey has to “take its position” against this threat. “Turkey is determined to end this terrorist activity,” Davutoğlu said.

Davutoğlu also hailed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who said on Monday that sending Iraqi troops to the north of Iraq was the best option to push out members of the PKK and its Iranian wing, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK). “If Iraq really ensures military control on its own soil, this is both important for Iraq's capacity to control its own soil and for preventing terrorist activities against Turkey. In this case, there will be no need for a cross border operation [in northern Iraq against PKK] by Turkey,” the Turkish minister added.

The PKK uses its bases in northern Iraq to launch attacks on Turkey. PJAK is also involved in clashes with Iranian forces.

Recently, Turkey's Parliament passed a bill extending permission, as it has done several times since 2007, for the Turkish military to mount cross-border operations against members of the PKK in northern Iraq during the coming year. Turkish air and artillery operations against suspected PKK members in the Kandil Mountains have intensified since August. The strikes were ordered after a break of more than a year in retaliation for an increase in PKK attacks on security forces inside Turkey.

Noting that Turkey has always defended Iraq's territorial integrity and will continue to do so, Davutoğlu underscored that the measures Turkey would take against the PKK are not against either Iraq or a certain ethnic group in the neighboring country.

“We no longer have patience for terrorist activity against Turkey from Iraqi soil. This should be known. We developed trilateral mechanisms [among Turkey the US and Iraq] for that and held bilateral meetings [between Iraq and Turkey] but this threat against Turkey is still continuing. We are determined to take the most effective measures on this issue”, he added. The minister thanked Iraqi officials for their understanding on this issue. “We have a common perspective on this issue,” he said.

A joint statement released by Zebari and Davutoğlu on Thursday following a technical meeting held between the two countries to prepare the groundwork for the second meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council on Tuesday also said the two delegations attended the meeting agreed “that the presence of the PKK terrorist organization in Iraq is against the Iraqi constitution.”

“The Iraqi side reaffirmed the determination of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq to eliminate the PKK and all other terrorist organizations' presence in Iraq. Both countries will enhance their cooperation in their struggle against terrorism in accordance with international law,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the two countries also agreed to prepare a bilateral agreement on opening new border gates along the Turkish-Iraqi border that will be ready for signature before the next meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council to build a third bridge at the Habur border crossing and to address water issues and to cooperate within that context in technical committees.


Turkey determined to fight PKK, Davuto

---------- Post added at 02:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 PM ----------

PKK kills one civilian, one village guard in southeastern Turkey


12 October 2011, Wednesday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM ,


Two people, a civilian and a village guard, died in an armed attack by members of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey's southeastern province of Siirt late on Wednesday.

A statement from the Siirt Governor's Office said one village guard was killed while another villager was injured when three PKK members attacked two village guards and two villagers in the Baykan district of Siirt. The statement added that the injured villager was taken to Siirt Military Hospital, but later died despite doctors' efforts.

The statement also added that two PKK members were also killed during the clash and that more Turkish troops were deployed to the area.

Turkey has this year carried out scores of air raids and artillery strikes on northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish area and also in southeastern Turkey to hit PKK targets. Ankara has warned it could carry out a cross-border ground attack, depending on talks with Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari came to Turkey this week to have talks with Turkish officials. Among the items on his agenda is how to deal with the PKK.



PKK kills one civilian, one village guard in southeastern Turkey

 

[RedBeard]

Turkish President Gül inspects troops on Iraq border



14 October 2011, Friday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

President Abdullah Gül (L) talks with the Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel during a graduation ceremony for 226 cadets at the Air Force War Academy in İstanbul August 30, 2011. (Photo: Reuters)​

Turkish President Abdullah Gül on Friday made a surprise visit to Turkey's Southeast to inspect troops on the Iraq border and boost the morale of soldiers.

The president, accompanied by Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel, visited troops in the Yüksekova district of the border province of Hakkari. Media reports, citing sources working for the office of the presidency, said the visit aimed to boost the morale of soldiers and that the president's visit will not be limited to Yüksekova. He will reportedly visit troops in other areas along the border.

Turkey has recently seen increased violence in the Southeast by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The group, classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has killed more than 50 people, including civilians, in the past couple of months.


Turkish President Gül inspects troops on Iraq border

 

[RedBeard]

Germany vows zero tolerance to PKK terrorism



13 October 2011, Thursday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle​

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has said Germany is not tolerating to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) activities in Europe and reiterated that his country considers the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Westerwelle told a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoğlu following their talks in İstanbul that German government attaches big importance to fight agianst terrorism and that “we are not supporting the PKK.”

Westerwelle’s remarks came at a time when German prosecutors said they have arrested a Turkish man on charges of belonging to the PKK.

The federal prosecutors' office said that Ali İhsan K., 45, was arrested on Wednesday in Hamburg. His full name was not released in accordance with German privacy laws.

Prosecutors said on Thursday the suspect was believed to have served as a leader of the PKK for the greater Hamburg region from 2007 to 2008. He is charged with organizing other members and collecting funds to support the group.

Asked about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s earlier remarks about German associations that he alleged indirectly funneling money to the PKK through business deals with municipalities, Westerwelle said he discussed this issue with the prime minister and that “some misunderstandings were solved,” without further elaborating.

He said German foundations in Turkey are respected and well-received institutions, adding that German government attaches important to fight against terrorism and that his country does not support the PKK in any way.

He added that German Supreme Court of Appeals decided last year that the PKK is a terrorist organization, noting that the organization is not only listed as a terrorist entity by Europe, there are also zero tolerance to it.

Responding to the same question, Davutoğlu said Erdoğan did not utter a phrase that German foundations “funnel money to the terrorist organization.”

Turkish foreign minister also confirmed that the issue of funneling money to the PKK came up during the meeting with his German counterpart and said “friends frankly talk about everything.”

PKK members have been using Iraq as a launch pad for attacks on Turkish targets in a war for autonomy in Turkey's southeast. Turkey also long complained of the PKK’s financial resources in Europe. Turkish warplanes have recently struck PKK bases in Iraq in response to an escalation of attacks by the PKK members since July.

In latest violence in Turkey, suspected PKK members attacked a police station near the southern city of İskenderun, killing one policeman and wounding three others on Thursday, Gov. Celalettin Lekesiz of İskenderun province told the state-run Anatolia news agency. One attacker was killed at the scene and others fled after firing from speeding cars, he said.

Davutoğlu says one of important legs of the terrorism is PKK camps in northern Iraq and another is financial resources several Kurdish associations based in Europe provide to the terrorist organization.

Davutoğlu said Erdoğan is planning a visit to Germany in early November to mark the 50th year of Turkish immigration to the EU member state, adding that Westerwelle will be in İstanbul at that time to attend a conference on Afghanistan.

Davutoğlu said both foreign ministers comprehensively discussed Turkey’s European Union membership talks, adding that Germany and Turkey consider ties between Turkey and the 27-member club through a strategic perspective.

He said economic crisis, regional development and Turkish-EU relations have displayed how valuable Turkish-EU relations are.

Davutoğlu said he also discussed visa facilitation talks between the EU and Turkey with his German counterpart and blasted the EU for double standards against Turkish nationals by denying visa facilitation. He said even those countries that have not even started membership talks enjoy visa facilitation but Turkey is what he said “carrying the burden of visa.”

Turkish foreign minister said commercial relations between Germany and Turkey have accelarated recently and that there are 4,500 German companies operating in Turkey and 70,000 Turkish companies in Germany.

He said trade volume between Germany and Turkey are currently $29 billion and that he said Turkey hopes it will advance further this year, adding that Turkey also expects 5 million German tourists this year.


Germany vows zero tolerance to PKK terrorism

 

[Tshering22]

See? Air strikes work really well against holed up terrorists. Good to see Turkey's resolve against terrorism.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Pakistan'dan tebrikler dileriz

 

[silko]

See? Air strikes work really well against holed up terrorists. Good to see Turkey's resolve against terrorism.

it works well, but when they get used to it they just go back to their caves. just like the men 3000 years ago, and to make it even more realistic, they NEVER shave themself. a nickname for them is mountain monkeys.

 

[RedBeard]

Hashemi: Sending troops to Turkish border will not resolve PKK issue


14 October 2011, Friday / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi (Photo:AP)​

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi has suggested that sending Iraqi military and peshmerga troops to the border with Turkey will not help resolve the problem of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Hashemi, speaking in an interview with the Anatolia news agency on Friday, began by voicing his sadness over the loss of Turkish soldiers in attacks by the PKK. Turkey and all related parties should find a permanent solution to the issue, he added.

“There is no agreement that clearly outlines what the parties should do to establish permanent peace along the borders of Turkey, Iraq and Iran and to end the violence. The PKK and PJAK [Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan] issue will not be resolved by sending Iraqi military forces and peshmerga to the border region. A military solution is not sufficient on its own. A lot of solutions are needed,” Hashemi was quoted as saying by Anatolia.

The PKK uses its bases in northern Iraq to launch attacks on Turkey. PJAK is also involved in clashes with Iranian forces.

Remarks by the Iraqi vice president came in contrast to what Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said recently. Maliki stated on Monday that sending Iraqi troops to the north of Iraq is the best option to push out members of the PKK and its Iranian wing, PJAK.

Maliki's comment was welcomed by Turkish leaders, with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu highlighting that Turkey will not have to carry out cross-border operations into northern Iraq if Iraq protects its own soil.

Hashemi, nevertheless, admitted that Iraq, like all related parties, has a responsibility in resolving the PKK issue. He has not yet elaborated on Iraq's responsibilities.

Turkey has carried out scores of air raids and artillery strikes this year in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region to hit PKK targets. Ankara has warned it may conduct a cross-border ground attack, depending on talks with Iraq.

Recently, Turkey's Parliament passed a bill extending permission, as it has done several times since 2007, for the Turkish military to mount cross-border operations against members of the PKK in northern Iraq during the coming year. Turkish air and artillery operations against suspected PKK members in the Kandil Mountains have intensified since August. The strikes were ordered after a break of more than a year in retaliation for an increase in PKK attacks on security forces inside Turkey.

Speaking at a press conference in Ankara following talks with Davutoğlu on Thursday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari underlined that the presence of the PKK in Iraq is not legitimate according to the Iraqi constitution.

“This is unacceptable, and no Iraqi government will accept it,” Zebari said in remarks translated from Arabic to Turkish.

At the same press conference, Davutoğlu reiterated Turkey's determination to fight the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the majority of the international community.

Davutoğlu said one of the main items on the agenda of his meeting with Zebari was the cooperation of the two countries against the PKK. Noting that the terrorist group, which has bases in Iraq, poses a threat to both Turkey and Iraq's territorial integrity, Davutoğlu said Turkey has to solidify its position against this threat. “Turkey is determined to end this terrorist activity,” Davutoğlu said.

Davutoğlu also reiterated his appreciation for Maliki's remarks from Monday.

“If Iraq really ensures full military control on its own soil, this is both important for Iraq's capacity to control its own soil and to prevent terrorist activity against Turkey. If this is the case, Turkey will have no need to stage cross-border operations [in northern Iraq against the PKK],” he reiterated.



Hashemi: Sending troops to Turkish border will not resolve PKK issue

 

[RedBeard]

Turkish President Gül inspects troops on Iraq border

 

[RedBeard]