Iraqi FM: Turkey Massing 140,000 Troops
By BUSHRA JUHI
Associated Press Writer
July 9, 2009
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its
border with northern Iraq, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday, calling the
neighboring country's fears of Kurdish rebels based there "legitimate" but
better resolved through negotiation.
In Washington, a Pentagon official disputed the claim by Foreign Minister
Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd from northern Iraq, and said satellite photos indicated
no such troop buildup. A State Department spokesman also played down the
allegation.
It was unclear where Zebari got the figures. If accurate, Turkey would have
nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which
the U.S. has in the country.
Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's military for the government to
give it the green light to carry out military operations in northern Iraqi
against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
"Turkey is building up forces on the border. There are 140,000 soldiers fully
armed on the border. We are against any military interference or violation of
Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said in Baghdad.
Turkey has been pressuring the United States and Iraq to eliminate PKK bases in
Kurdish-controlled parts of northern Iraq and has said it will carry out a
cross-border offensive if necessary.
"Turkey's fears are legitimate but such things can be discussed," Zebari said.
"The perfect solution is the withdrawal of the Turkish forces from the borders."
He added: "No one wants a new military conflict in the region."
He said there had been no "Turkey military violation until now," citing
artillery shelling and Turkish surveillance overflights.
But in Washington, a Pentagon official disputed Zebari's assertion that troops
were massing, saying no such movement has been picked up by U.S. satellites
gathering intelligence there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity
because he was not allowed to speak on the record about the subject.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said he would "steer you away from
that number of troops being immediately along the border," and Defense
Department spokesman Bryan Whitman repeated U.S. hopes that Turkey would not
launch an incursion into Iraq.
"With respect to Turkey and the border region, they have legitimate concerns
about terrorist activity of the PKK," Whitman told Pentagon reporters Monday.
"But we're also encouraging them that an incursion into Iraq is not the way to
solve this."
Turkey has long complained of U.S. inaction against separatist rebels, who have
escalated attacks inside Turkey in recent months. Last week, Turkey's military
chief asked the government to set political guidelines for an incursion into
northern Iraq.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Friday confirmed that detailed
incursion plans were ready.
Zebari said that his government cannot send its troops to secure the border with
Turkey at a time when U.S. and Iraqi forces are fighting a deadly insurgency
that has killed thousands of people.
"Our military forces are over-occupied with securing the streets and we do not
have forces enough to open a new front. We do not want any conflict. However, no
military violation has taken place till now," Zebari said.
Turkey has been battling separatist Kurdish rebels since 1984 in a conflict that
has killed tens of thousands of people. There has been a recent surge in rebel
attacks, and 67 soldiers have been killed this year. More than 110 rebels were
killed in the same period, according to the Turkish military.
Zebari said the best way is to address Turkey's "legitimate security concerns"
and revive the security and military commission which is made up of the united
states, Iraq and Turkey.
