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TURKISH PARLIAMENT RENEWS MANDATE TO SEND TROOPS TO NORTHERN IRAQ
October 10, 2013 - 21:53 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish parliament on Thursday, Oct 10 approved
a government motion to renew a mandate to send troops to northern
Iraq for another year if the government deems it necessary, Today's
Zaman reported.
The government submitted the motion to Parliament on Oct 4 for the
extension of the mandate, which allows the Turkish military to conduct
new cross-border operations in northern Iraq to eradicate terrorist
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) hideouts in that country. Last year's
resolution providing the legal basis for such operations expires on
Oct 17.
While the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the
opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) voted in favor of the motion, the
pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) voted against it.
The Iraq motion was first brought to Parliament in 2007 and the
mandate has since then been extended every year, a total of six times.
The AK Party, CHP and MHP voted in favor of the bill last year as
well, and the BDP was again the only party that voted against the
motion signed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The current text of the motion was approved by Parliament and wasn't
changed.
The motion states that "the peace, security, national unity and
territorial integrity of Turkey are under threat of attack by PKK
terrorists." The motion also says that Turkey "attaches importance
to the protection of the territorial integrity, national unity and
the stability of Iraq."
PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United
States, the European Union and NATO. Although insurgents have carried
out attacks in many regions of Turkey, the insurgency is mainly in
southeastern Turkey. The PKK's military presence in Iraq's Kurdistan
Region, which it uses as launchpad for attacks on Turkey, has resulted
in the Turkish military carrying out frequent ground incursions and
air and artillery strikes in the region, as the Kurdistan Regional
Government claimed they do not have sufficient military forces to
prevent the PKK from operating. The conflict has particularly affected
Turkey's tourism industry and has cost Turkey an estimated $300-450
billion, claiming lives of about 40,000 people.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/171105/
October 10, 2013 - 21:53 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish parliament on Thursday, Oct 10 approved
a government motion to renew a mandate to send troops to northern
Iraq for another year if the government deems it necessary, Today's
Zaman reported.
The government submitted the motion to Parliament on Oct 4 for the
extension of the mandate, which allows the Turkish military to conduct
new cross-border operations in northern Iraq to eradicate terrorist
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) hideouts in that country. Last year's
resolution providing the legal basis for such operations expires on
Oct 17.
While the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the
opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) voted in favor of the motion, the
pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) voted against it.
The Iraq motion was first brought to Parliament in 2007 and the
mandate has since then been extended every year, a total of six times.
The AK Party, CHP and MHP voted in favor of the bill last year as
well, and the BDP was again the only party that voted against the
motion signed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The current text of the motion was approved by Parliament and wasn't
changed.
The motion states that "the peace, security, national unity and
territorial integrity of Turkey are under threat of attack by PKK
terrorists." The motion also says that Turkey "attaches importance
to the protection of the territorial integrity, national unity and
the stability of Iraq."
PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United
States, the European Union and NATO. Although insurgents have carried
out attacks in many regions of Turkey, the insurgency is mainly in
southeastern Turkey. The PKK's military presence in Iraq's Kurdistan
Region, which it uses as launchpad for attacks on Turkey, has resulted
in the Turkish military carrying out frequent ground incursions and
air and artillery strikes in the region, as the Kurdistan Regional
Government claimed they do not have sufficient military forces to
prevent the PKK from operating. The conflict has particularly affected
Turkey's tourism industry and has cost Turkey an estimated $300-450
billion, claiming lives of about 40,000 people.
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/171105/