Rather than take the current popular post in the forum, in a new direction, I have started this one so the Armenian issue is not confused with the PKK issue.

How can the world expect Turkey to act with restraint against the PKK? This has been going on for over 30 years! Did the US use restraint when attacking Irak over 9/11? Did US ally, Israel use restraint went it leveled Beirut again over one single soldier? The problem with American diplomacy is its incredible hypocracy applied for itself and its allies.

The Republican government of USA has terrorized all the world in the name of fighting terrorism, are you calling for the same action to be done by the Turkish Army? To be with the same level with those Republican Hypocrates??
To shed blood in the name of fighting terror...
I can ask you one question and it is so easy :
If a thief entered your house and took all of your family as hostages, then could give all the right to the police to kill all of you in the sake of getting that thief arrested???

Turkey has the absolute right to defend its borders. The Republic of Turkey is being consistently attacked by members of the PKK who train and reside in Irak. Every nation in the world would protect its people and end this threat. Turkey has exercised patience to satisfy the United States long enough. Its now time for Turkey to act in its own interests and protect its people. All peoples of Turkey support this action.

So unforunately you are going after the classical games of politicians? Do you have any idea about those terrorists where are they? US Army invaded Afganistan and Iraq but what was the result??

By the way let it be clear are you speaking according to the intrests of people or the words coming out from the fat politians pockets... take care there is a big difference between these two cases. None of the politians are acting due to the what people like to make their life secure and happy! Politians saying yes for wars and sheding blood, while the majority of people on this poor earth calling for peace!!!!! And you are free to be on what side you decided.

If Turkey is able to mobilize inside the irak border, Turkey is safer. Training bases will be found and eliminated.

The US provides Turkey with 1 BILLION dollars in aid every year, which part of my tax dollars are funding their airbases. But WHERE was turkey in 2003 when we needed to use their border to open a northern front on Iraq? Not long after that Bush traveled to Turkey and paid them an
additional 2 billion + $$$$. At times I happen to believe that Turkey is only allied with the US when it is in THEIR interest.

Well, we learned yesterday just how devastating this loss of a northern base was. Because of Turkey’s antics three years ago, and the high cost of their lack of cooperation. We would have been able able to get the 4th Infantry Division into Iraq from the north, more of Saddam’s goons would have been captured or killed, and the insurgency would be far less than it was today.

Actually, it’s also possible we should be pleased that Turkey refused to allow US troops to enter Iraq from the North. As I understand it, the Turkish Parliament voted and the US proposal was defeated by only three votes. What was actually proposed was (1) for US troops to enter Kurdistan from the Turkish side, (2) move south to attack Iraqi nationalist army positions and (3) be replaced by Turkish forces, which were to occupy much of northern Iraq to “prevent Kurdish refugees from flooding into Turkey”.

The leaders of the various Kurdish militias in Northern Iraq stated, in no uncertain terms, that they WOULD treat occupation by Turkish troops as a Turkish invasion and would fight. In other words, we may have just missed kicking off an even wider war by three votes.

So now we face the dilemma that Turkey wants to interviene by uprooting the most stable part of Iraq. I'm curious, why now? If this has been going on for years....It wasn't convienent for you 4 years ago and now it is?

Several bombs set by the PKK have gone off near my home. Most notably, the HSBC Bank building at the levent metro station. I do not need a politician to tell me the PKK is a problem and we need to dismantle them. The military has known this for years and has held off because of the politicians.

OK Teaship,
Your recent history is very wrong. Turkey turned down money from the US to allow the invasion to take place from Turkish borders. Why? Because Turkey was not allowed to participate in the invasion. This would be the equivelent of the US allowing an ally to attack mexico from texas. And have the nerve to tell the US to stay out of it. Turkey acted honorably. The US money that goes to turkey for air bases is no different than the money all NATO nations receive for allowing air bases in their country. Its called rent. The pentagon considers this rent money well spent I assure you.

4 years ago, the PKK was quiet and at a truce with Turkey. In the last 4 years, they have stepped up their attacks. Turkey would have voted to allow the US access to NW Irak as I said if they were allowed to join the operation.