Turks and Kurds don’t want Turkish army in Iraq war

This video says about itself:

25 July 2015

Clashes erupted after police confronted approximately 1,000 protesters who had been rallying in the centre of Ankara, Turkey, against Turkish military airstrikes in Syria and northern Iraq. Several dozen protesters were reportedly arrested.

By Cem Uzun in Istanbul:

While Turkey’s generals attack Iraq, Kurds and Turks demonstrate for peace

Last Saturday Turkish troops crossed into Iraq in a dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Supported by helicopter gunships and artillery, they attacked an alleged group of fighters belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Kurdish nationalist guerrilla organisation.

The same day thousands demonstrated for peace in the town of Merzan, in Hakkari, the Turkish province from which the attacks were launched.

The authorities had set up roadblocks in an attempt to stop demonstrators reaching the protest called by the pro-Kurdish nationalist Democratic Society Party (DTP). Still a large crowd assembled with placards saying, “We don’t want a Turkish-Kurdish war” and “No to cross border operations”.

DTP co-president Emine Ayna criticised Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. She said, “Erdogan told us to take peaceful politics into the cities, not to fight in the mountains. Now he has gone back on these words. We are pursuing our aims in parliament, not in the mountains. But still Erdogan has started a lynch campaign against the DTP”.

The demonstration was broken up by police using tear gas. Emine Ayan was take to hospital suffering from the effects of the gas.

Turkey’s involvement in northern Iraq is not new. More than 20 cross border operations have been mounted in the last 15 years.

However, the Turkish ruling class also has extensive business interests in Iraq. Many large Turkish companies are involved in construction projects. Most consumer goods in northern Iraq are now imported from Turkey. Even food comes mostly from Turkey.

The US government is desperate to maintain the fragile stability of Iraqi Kurdistan, the one relatively peaceful part of post-invasion Iraq. However, the Turkish military is an important potential ally in any action against Iran and George Bush is also anxious to keep Turkey’s generals “on-side”.

Update 29 December 2007: here.

Iranian opposition, Iranian nuclear program, and US war threats: here. And here. And here.

“A Major Reversal? The NIE Report on Iran” -Immanuel Wallerstein: here.

Bush continues threats against Iran: here.

US agreed Turkish air raids on northern Iraq: here.

Update 7 February 2008: here.