Tension Mounts between Turkey and Iran against Kurdish militia in Iraq

Tension Mounts between Turkey and Iran against Kurdish militia in Iraq

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey- Turkey’s likelihood of invading Iraq in order to eliminate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebels has increased.  The PKK desires an independent Kurdistan for the Kurds living in Turkey.  The Turkish military reported that it has eliminated 30 terrorists that were preparing to ambush the Turkish military.  Since Sunday, 64 insurgents have been killed by the Turkish military.  (Fox News- AP)

Also, the possibility of a peaceful remedy through diplomacy between Turkey and Iraq is quickly diminishing.  Turkish Defense Minister Jassim stated that Turkey had proposed “concrete steps” to rectify the problems with Iraq.  (AFP)  According to Turkish Foreign Minister Babacan Iraq has not responded accordingly and has only said “just words” and not “concrete proposals”, which is increasing Turkish frustration. (AFP)

The increased tension has been encouraged by the PKK and possibly militant factions within the Turkish military.  The PKK waged a constant war with Turkey from 1984-1999.  At the end of the war the PKK lost support as its supporters got tired of the warfare.  The PKK could benefit from a Turkish invasion of Iraq, because it would probably create animosity toward the Turkish government by the 15 million Turkish Kurds, which the PKK hopes it can translate into its supporters.  This prolonged warfare was very difficult on the nation of Turkey.  Generally, the people of Turkey have appreciated the relative peacefulness they have experienced since the end of the war.  However, since the war has ended the Turkish military has not occupied the limelight.  This has led some analysts believe that some militant factions in Turkey are inciting violence in order to restore prominence back to the Turkish military, which would come through another war with the PKK.  (Independent Online)

The situation has gotten worse as the Iranians have simultaneously expressed their anger towards the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK). The PJAK is a militia seeking to create an independent Kurdistan and is affiliated with the PKK and has recently increased its attacks on security forces in northwestern Iran.  The Iranians also have expressed their belief that the situation can be resolved peacefully.

Although the direct diplomacy between Turkey and Iraq has been faltering, Turkey has stated that it will not invade Iraq until after the Prime Minister Erodgan’s diplomatic visit with President Bush on November 5.  Also, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning to visit Ankara on November 1.

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera- Turkey Delays PKK attack decision- 27 October 2007

Al-Jazeera- Turkey-Iraq talks on PKK ‘fail’- 27 October 2007

Al-Jazeera- Turkey troops kill Kurdish fighters- 28 October 2007

AFP- Turkish leaders increase pressure on US, Iraq- 24 October 2007

Fox News (AP)- Turkey: U.S. Will Not Stop Iraq Incursion; 64 Suspected Rebels Killed- 25 October 2007

Guardian Unlimited- Turkish Forces Clash With Rebel Kurds- 28 October 2007

Independent Online-   Turkey reluctantly prepares for attack on Kurds- 28 October 2007

UPDATE: Al-Badawi still detained by Yemen

SANAA, Yemen –September 26’s website, run by the Yemeni Defense Ministry, claimed that an Interior Ministry source said that Jamal al-Badawi is still detained and not freed, as security officials stated earlier.  The unnamed source said that al-Badawi is a detainee of the Interior Ministry and is under investigation by the concerned authorities.  Yemen’s official news agency, SABA, printed a short statement that a security source confirmed that al-Badawi is still is custody.  The Interior Ministry source stated that al-Badawi was not completely free, but did not clarify whether he was in prison or under house arrest.  According to the Yemen Observer, more than one security official at Aden Central Prison confirmed that al-Badawi was in prison.  A source stated that he “will remain in prison and under close scrutiny.”

On October 25, security officials claimed that al-Badawi was released to house arrest after pledging allegiance to Yemen’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh and promised not to participate in terrorism.  Members of al-Badawi’s family told Reuters that his sentence was commuted to house arrest and that they visited him at his home.  Also, witnesses told the Associated Press that al-Badawi received family and friends at his home in Aden.

Al-Badawi was convicted and sentenced to death for his role in planning and carrying out the 2000 attack on USS Cole.  The sentenced was later commuted to 15 years in prison.  Two weeks ago, he turned himself in after escaping from prison in 2006.

For more information, please see:

Almotamar – Al-Qaeda militant al-Badawi in custody and under interrogation – 28 October 2007

International Herald Tribune – Mastermind of USS Cole attacks still in detention, 2 Yemeni government web sites say – 28 October 2007

NewsYemen – Yemen denies al-Badawi release – 28 October 2007

Reuters – Yemen says bomber of U.S. destroyer Cole still detained – 28 October 2007

SABA – Al-Badawi is in custody: official source – 28 October 2007

Yemen Observer – Jamal al-Badawi is in jail – 28 October 2007

BRIEF: Peace Talks in Darfur Begin Without Rebels

SIRTE, Libya – Darfur peace talks began in Libya on Saturday, with key rebel groups missing.  The absence of major rebel leaders is dampening hopes of successful talks. Mediators have already downplayed the goals of the conference, stating that the focus will now be to “create conditions” for effective peace talks to take place.

The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) rebels stated from the beginning that they would not attend the peace talks until the African Union and United Nations deploy their joint force of 26,000 peacekeepers.  The peacekeepers are not due to arrive until January.  On Friday, the leader of the rival Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) announced that he was boycotting as well due to the extension of invitations to smaller, less representative rebel factions.   Both the SLA and JEM argue that the smaller factions are just stooges for the Sudanese government.

The talks were initially scheduled in early September by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to try to end over four years of fighting which has left more than 200,000 dead and over 2 million displaced.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Darfur talks open without rebels – 27 October 2007

International Herald Tribune – Darfur peace talks open to a grim start with main rebel groups absent – 27 October 2007

Yahoo (Reuters) – Darfur peace talks to begin without key rebels – 27 October 2007

For more information on the Darfur conflict, please see the following Impunity Watch reports: Upcoming Peace Talks in Sudan in Jeopardy; New Atrocities in Darfur; Ceasefire Ends in Sudan; African Union Peacekeepers Attacked in Darfur; Ongoing Conflict in Sudan; ICC Prosecutor Demands Arrests in Sudan; Secretary General Urges Sudan President to Commit to Ceasefire; Peace Talks on Darfur Scheduled for October

BRIEF: Rebels in Sudan Accuse Government of Attacks

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Darfur rebels have accused the Sudanese government of attacking an area along the border of Chad in violation of a unilateral ceasefire declaration given at the opening of peace talks in Libya.  Two factions, who did not attend the talks, claim that the government attacked the Jabel Moun area on Saturday, at the same time the government was announcing the ceasefire.  A Sudanese army spokesman has denied the reports.

Peace talks have been scheduled since early September, however key rebel groups have refused to participate.  Repeated efforts to create a lasting peace in the region have been unsuccessful. 

Experts estimate that since the conflict began in 2003, 200,000 people have died and over 2 million have been displaced.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Darfur rebels say government attacks despite ceasefire – 29 October 2007

Sponsors Agree to Delay Armenia ‘Genocide’ Vote

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

YEREVAN, Armenia – On Thursday, supporters of a bill in the US Congress labeling 1915 mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as “genocide” have agreed to postpone the measure.

In early October, the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee passed the bill censuring World War I killing of Armenians.  But support for the bill deteriorated later in the month when Turkey recalled its US ambassador and the Turkish government’s angry reaction fueled fears within Congress that it would cripple the ties between the two nations.

Turkey is a key US military and diplomatic ally in the Middle East region.  Declining relations with a rare Muslim ally could deny American access to Incirlik airbase, or other supply lines vital to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Once this potential geopolitical impact became known, the White House also began to persuade the bill sponsors for postponement.

Eventually, the four main sponsors of the bill – Democrats Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Anna Eshoo and Frank Pallone – bowed to White House pressure.  Still, the four believe the bill still has significant backing in Congress and their colleagues will vote for it when “timing is more favorable.”  Democrats also argued that “by refusing to condemn the Armenian massacres as ‘genocide,’ the United States will encourage impunity for current and future crimes against humanity.”

Republican House minority leader John Boehner, in contrast, agreed with the decision to delay the vote.  Although he acknowledged that “the suffering the Armenian people endured was tragic,” “this 90-year-old issue should be settled by historians, not by politicians.”

Many Western historians say the killing of at least 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1917 by the Ottoman Empire was genocide.  While Turkey accepts there were mass killings, they dispute the number of dead and the depiction of the killings as genocide.  On Friday, Armenian officials said they were “surprised” that concerns on US-Turkey relations had been allowed to stall this non-binding, symbolic “verbal acknowledgement.”

For more information, please see:

News.com.au – US vote on Armenia ‘genocide’ delayed – 27 October 2007

Reuters – Armenia ‘surprised’ at storm over genocide – 26 Octboer 2007

BBC News – US delays Armenia ‘genocide’ vote – 26 October 2007

AFP – Backers of Armenia genocide bill agree to delay vote – 25 October 2007