Mobility on the Turkish-Iraqi border
Turkish troops have launched a limited operation in northern Iraq in the past 24 hours, pursuing Kurdish rebels.
The information coming from Turkey about the attacks of the Turkish army in northern Iraq is contradictory. Military sources in Turkey say that "Turkish military forces have carried out a limited operation in northern Iraq for the last 24 hours chasing Kurdish rebels, but this military action cannot be described as a cross-border operation." The Turkish army speaks of "hot pursuit" of Kurdish rebels.
Meanwhile, the Americans do not confirm the information about "invasion of thousands of troops in northern Iraq". A US official speaking in Heligentham, Germany, said there was "no new action in the northern part of Iraq". The PKK, for its part, has denied the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating "Similar, baseless allegations concerning Kurdish President Bashar al-Assad have been made more than once. In northern Iraq, some 4,000 PKK guerrillas have been deployed.
For days now, Turkish generals have said they are ready to invade northern Iraq, and developments in the region are expected in the coming hours, as Turkey seems determined to pursue Kurdish rebels in Iraqi territory as well.
