Turkey mainly, Iraq and the Kurds (2006-2014)

[tequila]

Moderator's Note

The title of this thread was 'Turkish Officials: Troops Enter Iraq' and covered now historical events. There are several, smaller threads on Turkey and the Kurds, both within Turkey and in Iraq, which shortly will be merged into this thread. The thread has been re-titled 'Turkey, Iraq and the Kurds: a merged thread'.


Jamestown Foundation - Kurdish Peshmerga reinforce Turkish border.

...

Following the announcement of the proposed Turkish military plan against PKK installations in northern Iraq, witnesses also reported that two Turkish aircraft penetrated Iraqi airspace for about 10 minutes when they flew over Kista, a village near the Iraqi-Turkish border (Azzam, April 16). The Turks are not only putting a military squeeze on Iraqi Kurdistan, but are restricting trade along the Khabour Crossing, a vital trade link for the Kurds, to ratchet up the pressure. Turkish Minister of Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen said that Turkish trucks carrying material into Iraq will no longer use the Khabour Gate, whose collection tolls are a major source of revenue for the Kurdish government, and instead will start using the border gate with Syria to transport material into Iraqi territory (al-Bayyna al-Jadidah, April 15). The Turkish military also positioned about 50 tanks along the Turkish side of the Khabour checkpoint. If the Turkish blockade along the Khabour Gate continues, the Kurds will lose a significant source of income and influence. This will likely have a stronger effect in influencing Kurdish actions and rhetoric regarding the PKK ...