Iraq pushes for diplomacy as Turkey takes action

Turkey reportedly rejected the proposals of a high-level Iraqi delegation deployed to Ankara to prevent a major military operation against Kurdish rebels in Iraq, Reuters reported today.

According to the article: “Turkish helicopters and fighter jets pounded Kurdish rebel positions on Friday as diplomatic efforts got off to a rocky start in Ankara to avert a major offensive against the guerrillas based in northern Iraq.”

“Ankara had given Iraq a list of members of the outlawed PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) in northern Iraq and demanded that Baghdad hand over all separatist rebels there,” the article says.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with President Bush in Washington on November 5. And Turkey’s top military commanders said today that Ankara will wait until the visit before deciding on a cross-border offensive, The New York Times reported.

For the full Reuters article, click here.

For the full New York Times article, click here.