(Image source: Today’s Zaman)
BY TRACY PFEIFFER
You're watching multisource video news analysis from Newsy.
Turkey says it has killed dozens of rebel locations in northern Iraq-- and more could be on their way.
“Turkey’s military says it’s hit rebel targets in northern Iraq with airstikes. It says warplanes killed about 100 guerrillas and injured 80 more. Turkey says the cross-border strikes against suspected rebel positions began last Wednesday.”
Those guerrillas were members of the PKK-- or Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
China’s Xinhua explains the history of the conflict.
“Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK took up arms in 1984 to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. More than 40,000 people have been killed in conflicts involving the PKK during the past over two decades.”
Voice of America notes-- recently-- tension between Turkey and the PKK has heated up.
“The Turkish strikes were launched after PKK fighters ambushed a Turkish military convoy, killing at least eight soldiers. Early last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ... patience with the rebels is running out.”
But of note-- is that the PKK members allegedly killed-- were in the autonomous Kurdistan region-- inside the borders of Iraq. The Kurdistan parliament says it’s up the U-S to stop the Turkish attacks on Iraqi soil.
“‘Unfortunately, Americans have not committed so far to their duty of properly preserving Iraq’s borders and airspace...Iraq is surely not in a position to counterattack. That’s why, we should resort to other countries that have a role in halting these aggressions.’” (Al Sumaria)
Finally, a columnist for Kurdistan’s Rudaw says-- barring intervention, the conflict is only going to get worse.
“The Turkish and Kurdish communities in Turkey have never been so close to exploding as they are today. Just when everyone was expecting things to improve, they seem to be getting worse. Pessimism is running deep and there seems to be little chance for openness and democracy.”
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