Topic: Turkey Reserves Right To Enter Iraq

Wall Street Journal (Europe)
December 3, 2007
Pg. 10
By Reuters News Service
ANKARA -- Turkish President Abdullah Gul reaffirmed Turkey's readiness and right to intervene in northern Iraq one day after the Turkish Army said it carried out an operation there against Kurdish rebels.
Kurdish officials in Iraq insisted that there had been no Turkish military incursion, describing as baseless Ankara's claims that significant losses had been inflicted on Kurdish rebels.
The army "was granted a mandate," Mr. Gul said. "This mandate is being used when [the army] deems it necessary," Mr. Gul told reporters before flying to Pakistan for an official visit.
Turkey said it carried out an "intense intervention" against Kurdistan Workers Party, known as PKK, rebels in northern Iraq on Saturday, sending in special forces after the cabinet authorized the army to carry out cross-border operations.
The army said yesterday that two PKK rebels had been killed in clashes in southeastern Turkey on Saturday.
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek made it clear that operations in northern Iraq would continue as the army saw fit.
"The chief of general staff decides and will decide the necessity and timing of [the operations]," he said. "If the goal is met with one operation, then one operation will be done. If 10 operations are needed, then 10 operations will be done."