Talabani: We invited Turkish soldiers to Sulemani

[Aidoneus]

plot thickens.. two short pieces about the arrest of those Turkish soldiers by the US occupation forces in Iraq

Talabani: We invited Turkish soldiers to Sulemani
10/07/2003 KurdishMedia.com - By Bryar Mariwani

London (KurdishMedia.com) 10 July 2003: Jalal Talabani, the general secretary of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), told the Turkish state run Anadolian Agency regarding the recent arrest of the Turkish Special Forces in south Kurdistan, that he didn’t want the Turkish soldiers to be detained and treated like they were. "The Turkish soldiers are our guests. We invited them here," Talabani said.
--snip--
http://www.kurdmedia.com/news.asp?id=4093

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Talabani rejects involvement in detention of Turkish troops
July 10 — The leader of a Northern Iraqi Kurdish faction has denied that his group had pushed for the arrest of 11 Turkish soldiers detained by US forces on Friday.
--snip--
“They didn’t inform us beforehand and they didn’t ask for permission,” he said. “We didn’t want the Turkish soldiers to be detained and to see them in this position. The Turkish soldiers are our guests. We invited them here. We told the Americans that the thing they did was wrong.”
The PUK leader said that he still wanted to make his scheduled visit to Turkey and to explain the correct version of what happened in the raid against the Turkish troops.
--snip--
http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/news/223964.asp?cp1=1

[bemildred]

1. I give up.

"Who's on first?"

Kurdish infighting?
Giving Turkey warn fuzzies about how things are going?
Deliberately increasing the wedge between Turkey and the USA?

Stay tuned.

[aneerkoinos]

2. US FUBAR

As usual. You guys really understand very little about Kurdish-Turkish relationships. I don't know much but maybe little more.

Turkey opposes independent Kurdi-state, thats true, but that's no big problem since Kurds are not insisting on having one.
Kurds want some level of autonomy in Iraq and equal rights in Turkey, ie Turkey to become truly democratic and member of EU. In this they are more or less on same side with Erdogan and opposed to leading role of Turkish nationalistic army.

Most of all they wan't peacefull and friendly relations on both sides of border, there are differences and suspicions and that's why connections on all levels are important.

Thats the big picture. I have no idea what was the mission of those special troops but I can imagine many, including peacefull.

There is tendency to see the situation very black and white there, and it is anything but.

[bemildred]

3. Thanks, that is interesting information.

The public story here (USA) was that these fellows (the Turks) were
going to assassinate some US favored Kurd "leader".

I know about PKK and PUK and a bit more, and some history, but the
realities of Turkish politics today, I have no clue. From the
fact that they told us to screw off before the Irak War I know
there is more to it, but that is all.

Please chip in whenever you have something to say.