MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY-BORDER ARMY Turkish jets hit Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey - army

Record ID: 145981

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY-BORDER ARMY Turkish jets hit Kurdish militants in southeast Turkey - army
  • Date: 28th July 2015
  • Summary: SIRNAK, TURKEY (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) DRONE FLYING VARIOUS OF ARMOURED MILITARY VEHICLES ENTERING BASE VARIOUS TURKISH SOLDIERS STANDING NEXT TO WATCH TOWER VARIOUS OF AN ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER DRIVING ALONG BORDER DRONE IN SKY KARKAMIS, TURKEY (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MILITARY OUTPOST ON BORDER SOLDIER IN ARMOURED VEHICLE ON BORDER EXTERIORS OF A MILITARY BASE JARABLUS, SYRIA (AS SEEN FROM KARKAMIS, TURKEY) (JULY 28, 2015) (REUTERS) VILLAGE BUILDINGS VARIOUS OF WOMAN ON TOP OF A VILLAGE HOUSE
  • Embargoed: 12th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3OI71P9739Y28HQ4PW9NDWWEW
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The Turkish army implemented tighter security measures on the Turkish-Iraqi border on Tuesday (July 28) as F-16 fighter jets struck a group of militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey within hours of the group firing on gendarmes, the military said in a statement on its website.
    The incident occurred in the southeastern mountainous province of Sirnak, which borders Iraq, the statement said.
    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier on Tuesday it was impossible to continue a peace process with Kurdish militants and urged parliament to strip politicians with links to them of immunity from prosecution.
    Turkey last week launched air strikes on PKK camps in northern Iraq following a series of attacks on its police officers and soldiers blamed on the Kurdish militant group.
    The PKK has said the air strikes, launched virtually in parallel with strikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria, rendered the peace process meaningless but stopped short of formally pulling out.
    Western allies have said they recognise Turkey's right to self-defence but have urged the NATO member not to allow peace efforts with the PKK to collapse. While deeming the PKK a terrorist organisation, Washington depends heavily on allied Syrian Kurdish fighters in battling Islamic State in Syria.
    An emergency NATO meeting in Brussels on Tuesday offered political support for Turkey's campaigns in Syria and Iraq, and Erdogan signalled Turkey may have a "duty" to become more involved.
    For NATO allies, the prospect of Turkey, which borders Iran, Iraq and Syria, fighting a domestic conflict against Kurdish as well as Islamist fighters is a deep concern. But for many in Turkey, Kurdish rebellion remains the primary national threat.
    Turkey's border with Syria remained calm on Tuesday.
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