Turkish Air Raids on Iraq Approved by US

The Turkish air raids against PPK fighters in Northern Iraq were approved by the US according to Turkey’s top general, Yasar Buyukanit.

Turkish air force jets targeted the Kurdish rebel PKK in areas near but inside the Iraq border. The Turkish media said up to 50 planes were used. The Turks have build up their troop strength along the Turkey - Iraq border for some time. Whether a Turkish troop invasion will take place as a follow up to the air strikes remains to be seen.

General Buyukanit said the US “gave intelligence” that aided the operation. “But what is more important is that the United States last night opened northern Iraqi airspace to us. By doing that, the United States approved the operation,” he said.

The air attack by Turkey places the United States in an awkward position to say the least. The US is supposed to be supporting the Iraqi government. The Iraqi government has summoned the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad and demanded an immediate halt to the strikes. Yet the US by opening up the airspace according to the Turks gave its approval to the attacks.

It looks to me that the friction between the US and the Iraqi government that we are supposed to be supporting is only increasing with time. Turkish military forces operating in Iraq will only add to the complications already existing in the war torn country.

How will the Kurds with their independent militia and the Iraq government respond if the air attacks are followed up by a Turkish troop ground assault is an open question? As bad as things are in Iraq they may be about to become far more complicated.

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