April 12, 2007: Iraq's President, a Kurd, apologized to Turkey for statements by Iraqi
Kurdish leaders that they would "fan unrest" among Turkish Kurds if Turkey
opposed Iraqi Kurdish claims to the Iraqi city of Kirkuk. President Talabani
insisted that Iraq values its
relationship with Turkey. A few days earlier, the Turkish government said that
Iraqi Kurds could pay a "heavy cost" for threatening Turkey. Turkey wants to
protect the Iraqi Turkoman (ethnic Turk) population in Kirkuk. The US is trying
keep Turkey from launching a military incursion into northern Iraq.
April 10, 2007: Turkish troops killed four PKK
rebels in firefights that took place in Bingol and Tunceli provinces.
April 9, 2007: -- Ten Turkish soldiers had been
killed in recent operations against the PKK in southeastern Turkey. Seven PKK
fighters were killed in operations on April 7 and 8. Three more were killed on
April 9.
April 6, 2007:
The Turks launched a counter-PKK offensive with at least 10,000 troops
and paramilitary security police. The operation was described as a "spring
sweep" of PKK infiltration routes. As the snows melt, the PKK rebels usually
attempt to enter Turkey from Iraq or move from mountain camps to bases nearer
cities.
The Turkish government sentenced eight members of
the Democratic Society Party (DTP, a predominantly Kurd party) to three years
and nine months in prison. The men were convicted of "aiding PKK rebels."
