The new chief of Turkey's powerful military has acknowledged that the country has a military presence in neighboring Kurdish-held northern Iraq, however refused to elaborate on the force.
"We have some military elements in northern Iraq to serve a specific purpose, but it would not be right for me to explain the reason for their presence," General Hilmi Ozkok told reporters at a reception on Friday, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Ankara has long been reported to have troops in northern Iraq, where it has carried out frequent operations against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels who have waged a 15-year armed campaign for self-rule in Turkey's southeast. However, Turkish officials had never previously confirmed the reports.
Meanwhile, the leader of one of the factions, Massoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said in comments carried by Anatolia on Saturday that the Turkish army had recently reinforced its presence in the mountainous region.
"In the area around Bamerni, there are around two dozen Turkish tanks, troops and helicopters that are from time to time making sorties," Barzani said. "The Turkish military presence in the area has been reinforced recently," the KDP leader added, calling for its withdrawal. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
