Turkey Dragged to the Iraq War: 23 Kurdish Rebels, 13 Turkish Soldiers Killed, Several Turkish Soldiers Captured

Death toll of Turkish soldiers rises to 13

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-21 17:46:01 Print

ANKARA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) --

The death toll of Turkish soldiers has risen to 13 in an attack staged by members of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey near the Iraqi border, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Sunday.

  The report said that a group of PKK members attacked a troop unit of the Turkish security forces with heavy weapons in Daglica region of Yuksekove in Hakkari province at small hours on Sunday, leaving 13 soldiers killed and 15 others injured.

An initial report put the death toll at nine.

The wounded soldiers were taken to a military hospital for treatment by helicopter, Anatolia said, adding that operations in pursuit of the PKK militants who fled the scene after the attack are still underway.

It was the first major attack since the Turkish parliament approved on Wednesday a motion submitted by the government for cross-border military operations targeting the PKK based in northern Iraq.

The passage of the motion paved way for possible military actions into northern Iraq to pursue the PKK rebels during a one-year period.

However, the motion was seen as a military threat by the Iraqi government, which strongly opposed it and called on the Turkish government not to put it into action.

The PKK has increased its attacks on government troops in southeastern Turkey, which led to rising Turkish demands for an incursion into northern Iraq to crush the rebels based there.

The group, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, launched an armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in the mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking decades of strife that has claimed more than 30,000 lives.

Report: Kurdish rebels take Turkish soldiers hostage

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-21 20:17:18 Print

ANKARA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) --

The Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) rebels have taken many Turkish soldiers hostage, the pan-Arab satellite TV al-Jazeera quoted pro-rebel Firat news agency as reporting on Sunday.

The report came shortly after the Turkish military announced that its troops killed 23 PKK militants in clashes following an offensive against its soldiers in southeastern Turkey.

A statement issued by the chief staff of the Turkish Armed Forces said that 12 Turkish soldiers also died and 16 others injured in the clashes with the PKK in Daglica region of Yuksekovetown in Hakkari province.

But the military didn't mention the hostage incident in its statement.

Turkish troops kill 32 Kurdish rebels in Turkey

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-21 19:58:00 Print

ANKARA, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) --

The Turkish military said on Sunday afternoon that its troops had killed 32 militants of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in clashes following an earlier PKK attack against its soldiers in southeastern Turkey.

A statement issued by the chief staff of the Turkish Armed Forces said its troops killed 23 PKK militants in the clashes between the PKK and the Turkish security forces in Daglica region of Yuksekove town in Hakkari province.

The statement added that the military operation in pursuit of the PKK rebels are continuing in the region.

Turkey's military offensive came in response to an attack by PKK militants earlier in the day in southeastern Turkey near the Iraqi border, which killed 12 Turkish soldiers and wounded 16 others.

The PKK's attack and Turkey's response came four days after the Turkish parliament approved a motion backing the cross-border military operations targeting the PKK based in northern Iraq.

Th e PKK's attack prompted the Turkish government to call for an emergency meeting to mull on further military actions.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had announced that a security summit is to be held at 8:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) under the chairmanship of Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit had also returned to Turkey from Italy for the security summit.

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