Turkish operations in northern Iraq (2007–2008)

Turkish operations in northern Iraq (2007–2008)
	Part of the Turkey-PKK conflict and Iraq War
	File:Ruined school in northern Iraq.jpg; A civilian clearing debris from a school destroyed in the attacks.
Date	December 16 2007 – present
Location	Iraqi Kurdistan
Result	Ongoing
Belligerents
Turkey	File:Kurdistan Workers Party flag (current).gif Kurdistan Workers Party
Commanders and leaders
Yasar Buyukanit	N/A
Strength
10,000 troops	N/A
Casualties and losses
2 killed	200 killed; (Turkish claim)

The ongoing operations in northern Iraq by the Turkish Air Force was aimed at Kurdistan Worker's Party units stationed there. According to sources, the bombardments begun on December 16^[2], 2007. On February 21, 2008, Turkey sent 10,000 troops into northern Iraq to target the PKK.^[3] The incursion was announced on the Turkish General Staff website the following day, and would constitute the "first confirmed ground incursion" since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[4]

Timeline

December 2007 - February 2008 bombing campaign

Turkey launched its first cross-border raid on December 16. The attack involved 50 fighter jets.^[5] A Turkish military statement said that up to 175 rebels were killed on that day alone. Iraqi officials reported the strikes on targeted 10 villages and killed one civilian. The PKK reported seven deaths.^[6]

On December 18, the Turkish army reportedly penetrated several kilometres into Iraq on, to attack a group trying to infiltrate Turkey. It did not say how many troops were involved. Kurdish officials in Iraq said at least 300 Turkish troops had crossed the border for 15 hours.^[7]

On December 22 and 23, Turkish fighter jets bombed areas in northern Iraq damaging farmland. An Iraqi Kurdish official said there were no casualties in the air raid on December 23, which targeted a mountainous area north of Irbil and lasted for more than three hours.^[8]

On December 26, the Turkish General Staff said Turkish military aircraft bombed eight Kurdistan Workers Party bases in northern Iraq in the latest strikes. The raid was undertaken after "it was determined that a large group of terrorists, who have been watched for a long time, are preparing to pass the winter in eight caves and hideouts in the Zap region," the statement said. A spokesman for Peshmerga security forces of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, said the strike lasted about an hour in a mountainous border region of Dahuk province, but inflicted no casualties.^[9]

File:December 2007 bombing of northern Iraq.jpg

A Turkish Cobra helicopter above an attacked site

On January 15 2008, Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq, the military announced, but there were no reports of casualties or serious damage.^[10]

The Turkish military said in a statement on February 4 that Turkish fighter jets struck nearly 70 Kurdish separatist targets in northern Iraq in a series of strikes.^[11]

February land offensive

On February 21 2008, the Turkish military began an artillery and aerial bombardment of the PKK in northern Iraq in order to "destroy organizational infrastructure in the region." This lasted from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm local time.^[12] The Turkish goverment reports that on the day of the operation Turkish President Abdullah Gul made a telephone call to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, himself a Kurd, in order to brief him on the details of the incursion.^[12]

Kurdish peshmerga forces were put on alert and have prevented Turkish military monitors in northern Iraq from leaving their camps.^[13] A Kurdish rebel official claimed 2 Turkish troops killed, 8 wounded in border clashes on February 21.^[14]

Casualties

The Turkish army claimed it killed 200 rebels during the aerial campaign as of December 25.^[15]

Reactions

During the bombing campaign

The president of the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, Massoud Barzani, condemned Turkey's raids and warned Ankara to stop the strikes.^[16]
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who is a member of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), expressed concern that "unilateral actions" could harm Iraqi and Turkish interests.^[17]

After the land incursion

European Union Commenting the 21 february incursion, foreign policy advisor Javier Solana spoke at a news conference in Slovenia, saying, "We understand the concerns of Turkey...but we think this action is not the best response. The territorial integrity of Iraq is for us very important."^[18] The European Commission said through a spokeswoman that "The European Union understands Turkey's need to protect its population from terrorism and it also says that Turkey should refrain from taking any disproportionate military action and respect human rights and the rule of law."^[12]
Germany - The Foreign Office urged Turkey not to escalate regional tensions.^[19]
United Kingdom - The Foreign Office stated, "We would urge Turkey to withdraw from Iraqi territory as early as possible and take the greatest possible care to avoid causing harm to the civilian population."^[20]
United States - Admiral Gregory Smith released a statement saying "The United States continues to support Turkeys right to defend itself from the terrorist activities of the PKK." The U.S. Embassy in Turkey had no comment.^[12] Deputy assistant secretary for southeastern Europe Matthew Bryza said, "The land operation is a whole new level. What I can say is that what we've been doing until now has been working quite well."^[13]