Over the last few days, Turkey and Iran have moved lage numbers of army personnel and equipment to the border areas facing the Kurd parts of Northern Iraq. Leader of theNorwegian Council for the Rights of the Kurds (RKR) Vidar Birkeland says in an RKR press release today that the deployments make a serious threat against the stability not only of the Kurdish parts of Iraq but of the entire region. Unlike the rest of Iraq, the Kurdish parts have until recently been marked by peace and stability. (25-APR-06)

Based on the RKR press release, this article is written by HRH / Niels Jacob Harbitz. 

Birkeland also expresses concern about the increased military presence in the Kurish parts of Turkey and Iran. The further militarisation is an expression of how the authorities in the two countries are tightening their grip on Kurish civilians to silence the ever louder demand for the Kurish minority to have its rights respected. From the Tirkish and Iranian points of view, this demand is seen as a threat against the whole countries’ security. While Iran and Syria have shown a very limited willingness to admit any rights to their Kurdish minorities, Turkey has yet to implement most of the reforms that have been agreed and declared. The authorities in the three countries are monitoring developments in Iraq with increasing concern, especially since Iraqi Kurds have managed to negotiate a significant measure of autonomy for their areas, which in turn has given the region a real influence, politically and in other ways, at the national level, adds Birkeland.

Background:
 
Turkish troops deployment towards the border with Iraq
Within a few days, 40.000 Turkish troops have been transported to the border with Iraq in what Turkish authorities claim is an offensive against the Kurdish ‘PKK guerrilla’. According to INS Security Watch, there are now about 250.000 Turkish soldiers in the area. This is confirmed b the Turkish newspaper Milliyet, who adds that the troops are heavily armed. Milliyet elaborates that the ground troops are supported by Cobra helicopters, F16 fighter planes and F 14 war planes. Monday 24 April, a Turkish soldier and three PKK members were killed in Sirnak. In addition, various reports claim that unknown numbers of lives have been lost on both sides in recent days and weeks.

Sources:
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=12102
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=12100
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2006/04/22/son/sontur14.asp

Clashes between the Iranian Army and PJAK
Friday 21 April, the Iranian Army carried out a bomb raid against the Iranian party Free Life for Kurditan (PJAK) in Sidakan, six kilometers inside Iraq. Iranian authorities claim PJAK is associated with PKK, and the attack, said the Iranian Army, was retaliation for a recent attack by PJAK’s armed wing against Iranian soldiers, in Iran.

Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1870819
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2006-04-21T111557Z_01_GEO136585_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-IRAN-SHELLING.xml
 
President Talabani of Iraq does not accept cross-border action
In Iraq, the Kurdish minority has once again secured significant political influence after Jalal Talabani was reelected for President 22 April. Talabani has expressed concern over the neighbouring countries’ increased military presence and aggression in the border areas with Iraq. He has also reiterated that Iraq is a sovereign state and that Turkish operations inside Iraq are unacceptable. Under Saddam Hussein’s regime Tyrkey had access to carry out militay operations up to 15 kilometers inside Iraqi territory.

Sources:
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&hn=32390
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2006/April/focusoniraq_April144.xml&section=focusoniraq

Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs warns
In an interview with Turkish tv 2 April, the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdollah Gul expressed his expectations that Iraqi authorities will take action against PKK, who has had its bases inside the Kurdish areas of Iraq since 1999 when they withdrew from Turkey and declared a ceasefire. Gul added that Iran and Syria are prepared to confront PKK, as they have done in the past. According to Gul, the three countries’ secret services have co-operated closely for several years, among other things on monitoring PKK’s activities. Gul reminded that among the 14 guerrillas killed in Turkey 28 March, three were Iranian Kurds. He also warned that Iraqi citizens may well get hurt if Iraqi authorities fail to act against the PKK.

Source:
http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=41709&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs

Spring offensive
Commander in Chief for the Turkish ground troops General Yasar Buyukanit reassured 23 April that the recent troops movements are nothing out of the ordinary, referring to the fact that fighting between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish guerrilla normally picks up during spring when the snow melts away in the border passes. The General did not answer questions regarding the possibility that Turkish troops may be planning attacks inside Iraq.

Source:
http://www.thenewanatolian.com/opinion-5444.html

Read more:
The future of Turkish-Kurdish relations:
http://www.bitterlemons-dialogue.org/dialogue4.html

Clashes in Southeastern Turkey on the Rise: http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,412798,00.html

There is no military solution to the Kurdish question: 
http://www.kurdmedia.com/articles.asp?id=12053

For further news and background in both Norwegian and English, please follow regular updates on www.kurdistan.no