ANKARA (Combined Sources)–The United States actively supports the efforts of its Turkish allies to defeat the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the U.S. ambassador to Turkey said Monday after Turkish troops deployed along the Iraqi border to stage fresh attacks against Kurds in Northern Iraq.
Twelve Turkish soldiers were killed in PKK attacks over the weekend, with most of the deaths occurring when members of the outlawed group assaulted a border unit at the Iraqi frontier.
Turkish state media said elite troops rappelled down from helicopters and poured out of mechanized infantry units Monday to mount an operation to surround the Kurds.
Meanwhile, security sources were quoted as saying helicopter gunships bombed suspected PKK positions in the provinces of Hakkari and Sirnak, bordering Iraq.
U.S. Ambassador James Jeffrey said the United States would “urgently” consider any requests from Ankara asking for help fighting the PKK, which Washington considers a terrorist group. “We stand ready to review urgently any new requests from the Turkish military or government regarding the PKK,” Jeffrey said in a written statement, echoing remarks made Sunday by an embassy spokeswoman.
Following the weekend attacks there had been speculation that the U.S. might not have passed on actionable intelligence in its possession regarding PKK movements toward the border.
While Turkey’s “no” vote on fresh U.N. sanctions against Iran and a simmering crisis with Israel has sparked concern in Turkey that the United States may withhold support from Ankara’s struggle against the PKK, Jeffrey stressed “there has been no change in the level of U.S.-Turkey intelligence sharing regarding the PKK in northern Iraq.”
Describing the PKK as a terrorist group and a “common enemy” to both Ankara and Washington, Jeffrey said the U.S shared Turkey’s grief at the loss of its heroic troops and police in the joint struggle against terrorism. “Our sincere condolences go out to the families of the victims,” he said.
How is the PKK a common enemy with Washington? Amb. James Jeffrey needs to worry about the militant Islamists and turkish version of Al Qaida who is more of a threat to the United States than any PKK freedom fighter.
There is no such thing as PKK anymore. They disbanded years ago. The current attacks are insurgent attacks by Kurdish Turkish citizens fed up with the governments policies of ethnic cleansing. These attacks on refugee villages is inhumane and just revenge from the military dictatorship.
this empire will fall in not too distant a future.
The US Government must stop being manipulated by the turkish criminals. The Kurds are freedom loving people not terrorists. The US has got it all mixed up as to what is what.
Turkey can and will have the support of the US,UN,and EU. The war on terror will garrentees this.The only mention of this story in the American media was on the news ticker at the bottem of the screen. Same for the border scirmishes between Armenian and Azeri forces.When the Turks are caught by CNN or FOX News killing Kurdish civillians by the thousands,if there isn’t such video already,then people will believe “this empire will fall” or”theres no such thing as the PPK anymore”.Right now I don’t whos more inept,Obama or Bush.
The state department needs to review this Truman doctrin where the territorial integrity was promised to be maintained. The west is better off by allowing a Kurdistan and Western Armenia as buffer zones versus the RoT.
Another ‘in your face’ today against the Kurds, USA, the world…venting inhumanity on humans as it was against the Armenians, Greeks, Syrians, Assyrians in the 19th, 20th now today 21st centuries… Ottomans.
Manooshag
A Turkey who jails a Kurdish girl child for nearly nine years for tossing (supposedly) pebbles at a Turkish policeman – imprisioned in a Turkish jail – before the civilized world… another ‘in your face’ of the Turk leadership. And the Kurds are the ‘terrorists’??
Manooshag
The US stupidity of supporting turks going far! they must learn from the latest Israel problem which creat by turks however Israel helped the barbarian turks in many way , economic, diplomacy and military but if you put your hands full of Honey in a turkish mouth when you take out your hand they will bite your fingers. 1,5 millions of turkish cowerd army against 4000 PKK army and now screanig for help from US and Israel thats funny the turks are only brave to massacre the civilian
I think PKK militant are brave they know how to nail the turks & the turkish army . Watch how they shake the second biggest NATO army . some days ago the human rights office in Turkey said 116.000 political prisoner are in Turkish jails, thousands of them are kurdish children under 12 yeras old in the name of fighting terror and imagine this country want to protect Palestinian people in Gaza from israelian army and now the turkish military delegation in Israel for getting help against PKK , thats more than funny
The first time Armenia is linked,tied,or in anyway connected to a listed terrorist organization and that will be it for us in America.That said,as long as the PKK does not harm,injure,or kill any Americans,we can offer some political help to the Kurds and not lose any political capital of our own here in the US.
This is typical US idiocy targeting Freedom Fighters PKK, instead of fighting Drug Trafficking Turkish government cultural pastime. Maybe some of these drugs finds its way to USA by Turkish Gov. Travellers under disguise as diplomats; you can tell a Turkish diplomat high on drug in the way they run policies. Look at the “freedom ship” saga hatched by erdoghan: Look at mevlut cavusoglu…, Look at Azerbaijan’s little “sultan” president aliyev after he leave the meeting in St Petersbourg he decide to draw some blood…, they must have been on drugs. One has to be aware of these characters because they re-invent new history.
President Nixon was right in 1973; about Turkey was the centre of drug capital of the world supplied from Afghanistan. Maybe they still siphon by Turkish generals from Afghanistan, Obama has lots of thinking to do before he declares War on Freedom Fighters’ PKK. he has been sucked-in by the Turkish Government.
obama’s notihng but a puppet anyway…if you think he really makes the decisions of our country then you’re an idiot
As a Marine working over there I could say we never had any problems with the Kurdish Army when they came to our base to provide security on the supply convoy’s they would do. I’m ignorant to the politics but can say meeting these guys first hand we just bs’d with them when they came to our base.