[QODLink]
Middle East
Turkey ignores Iraq pull-out plea
Al Jazeera learns of new offensive in Iraqi border town of Goli.
Last Modified: 25 Feb 2008 18:07 GMT

Turkey's airstrikes have destroyed five bridges in Iraq, according to the Kurdish government [AFP]

Heavy fighting between the Turkish military and PKK fighters in northern Iraq has continued despite pleas by the Iraqi government for Turkey to withdraw.
 
Turkish troops on Monday fired more than 40 salvos of artillery shells across the Iraqi border and witnesses said helicopters continued to target Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases in Iraq.
A day earlier, a Turkish helicopter crashed in Iraq and at least eight soldiers were killed during a ground operation against the banned Kurdish group.
 
Turkey's five-day incursion has focused on border towns and Al Jazeera has learned of troops and helicopters heading towards the town of Goli.
'Heavy fighting'
 
James Bays, Al Jazeera's correspondent in northern Iraq, said: "[Goli] is a place that has been a PKK camp, its in a mountainous area, and we believe that attack is about to get under way or is already under way."
 
In depth

Profiles:
-The Kurds
-The PKK

In Video
Fears of political censorship


In Focus
PKK, the common enemy?

With Turkish and Iraq's regional Kurdish government denying journalists access to the clashes are taking place, it is difficult to independently confirm the fighting, he said.
 
"What is clear from both Turkish and PKK figures, although they're very different," Bays said, "is that there are still casualties on both sides and that heavy fighting is continuing."
 
The Turkish military says 15 soldiers have been killed since Thursday but PKK fighters say they have killed 47 troops so far.
 
Turkey also said it had killed 33 more PKK members, taking the Kurdish toll to 112 since the launch of the cross-border incursion on Thursday evening.
 
Withdrawal calls
 
The Iraqi government on Sunday called for Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern Iraq.
 
A statement by Nuri al-Maliki's government urged Turkey "to withdraw its forces from Iraqi soil as soon possible".
 
Your Views

What do you think of Turkey's Iraq offensive?

Send us your views

"The government of Iraq calls on Turkey to respect its sovereignty and unity and considers that the unilateral operation across the border is a threat to the region," the statement said.
 
It came after Turkey's military warned Iraqi Kurds not to shelter Kurdish fighters fleeing its offensive.
 
The PKK is fighting for autonomy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in the semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.
 
Started in 1984, the conflict has claimed as many as 40,000 lives.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
Topics in this article
Country
City
Organisation
Featured on Al Jazeera
More and more people in the US are living in poverty - yet Mitt Romney's policies would further shred the safety net.
As the anniversary of the uprising nears, the country's rulers are denying foreigners entry and hiring PR firms.
Under Obama, six whistleblowers have been charged under the World War I-era Espionage Act.
Journalist who recently spent time with fighters says there is no central leadership to the armed resistance.
<  > 
join our mailing list

Enter Zip Code
Go