By RIA Novosti
Ankara : Some 40,000-strong Turkish troops with helicopter, artillery and special forces units are ready to launch a full-scale operation against Kurdish militants on the Iraqi border, Turkish media reported.
Turkey’s parliament sanctioned military cross-border operations against around 3,500 Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq Wednesday following a government request earlier this week.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday parliamentary approval did not mean that the operation would begin immediately.
“It will be conducted when the time is right, when necessary,” he said.
Troops have been involved in operations against Kurdish militants in the Kato mountains in Turkey’s southwest province of Sirnak, according to the Sabah newspaper.
The US urged Turkey not to launch a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels. “We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don’t think it is in their interest to send troops into Iraq,” President George Bush said.
Iraq has protested Turkish military actions on its territory, calling them “aggression against Iraq and its territorial integrity.” Erdogan responded that Ankara was not after Iraq’s territory or sovereignty, but sought to counter the mounting terrorism threat emanating from the country.
Local media said the Turkish leadership was considering imposing sanctions against Massoud Barzani, president of the Autonomous Kurdish Government in Iraq and leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
Turkey accused him of supporting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK. The party has been fighting for autonomy status in southeast Turkey for nearly 25 years. The conflict has claimed about 40,000 lives.