Iraqi Delegation Pleads with Turkey not to Invade; Turkish Shelling of Iraqi Villages KRG: No PKK Offices in Iraq

The USG Open Source Center translates television news concerning the crisis between Turkey and Iraq over the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla actions against Turks; the PKK fighters are given safe haven inside Iraq by the Kurdistan Regional Authority, led by Massoud Barzani. In a second item, OSC translates a Kurdish t.v. report on the Turkish shelling of Iraqi villages in reprisal for PKK terror attacks in Turkey.

'Al-Sharqiyah, Al-Iraqiyah Report on Latest Political Developments in Iraq
Iraq -- OSC Summary
Thursday, October 25, 2007

[Al-Sharqiyah Television (Dubai)]: "The government of Iraqi Kurdistan Region denied Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's claims that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has offices in areas under the control of the government of the region. Jamal Abdallah, spokesman for the government of the region, said that the PKK has no offices or headquarters in the region, asserting that the government of the region does not know what the prime minister meant by closing the PKK headquarters and where they are located."

"During his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, who visited Baghdad on Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki promised to close the offices of the PKK, which he described as a bad terrorist organization, and to prevent it from working in Iraq."

"The spokesman said: "If Al-Maliki has offices in other areas in Iraq, let him close them." He asserted that there are no PKK offices in the areas under the control of the government of the region."

-- "The Iraqi government delegation, headed by Defense Minister Abd-al-Qadir al-Ubaydi, started talks with Turkish officials in Ankara over the crisis caused by the PKK insurgents in northern Iraq. Informed Iraqi sources said that the Iraqi delegation includes National Security Minister Shirwan al-Wa'ili; Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Lubayd Abbawi; Defense Minister Spokesman Muhammad al-Askari; Karim Sinjari, the interior minister in the government of Iraqi Kurdistan Region, as representative of the region; and a number of ministers. The sources added that the Iraqi delegation seeks to prevent a Turkish military invasion of northern Iraq to pursue the Kurdish insurgents, who stage attacks against Turkish military targets coming from mountainous areas in northern Iraq."

-- "Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi asserted that there are no Iraqis in the list of wanted people he received from the Turkish Government during his visit to Ankara. In press statements, Al-Hashimi said that he received a list of names of members of Kurdistan Workers Party, who are wanted by justice for involvement in terrorist activities. He added that the list, which is not for publishing, does not contain names of Iraqis."

"In another development, Al-Hashimi said in a statement issued by his office that the Iraqi Al-Tawafuq Front still wants to participate in the government, but it will do this after correcting the current situation and after the government shows respect to the constitutional responsibilities given to the Iraqi presidency. He added that the technocratic government, which Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said he intends to form, should start with the prime minister, not only the Cabinet members."

[Al-Iraqiyah (Baghdad):] -- "Iraqi President Jalal Talabani chaired a regular meeting of the Presidential Council in Baghdad with the presence of Vice Presidents Adil Abd-al-Mahdi and Tariq al-Hashimi. The meeting discussed the latest political security, the current security challenges, and the nature of tasks shouldered by Iraqi political leaders."

"In press statements following the meeting, Talabani said that the council held a fruitful meeting, during which they discussed main issues in Iraq and agreed on a number of steps to find solution to issues on the political, security, and government levels. He described these agreements as good steps toward achieving national reconciliation and unifying the ranks."

-- "Dr Ali al-Dabbagh, official spokesman for the Iraqi Government, said that Iraq seeks to establish the best relations with its neighbor Turkey and that it will not allow any armed operation against its territory."

-- "Ninawa Governorate today witnessed a peaceful demonstration in protest against the Turkish threats against Iraq. The demonstrators expressed their rejection of using excessive force to resolve crises in the region."

-- "The Iraqi Government decided to revoke the immunity granted to private foreign security companies in Iraq by the Bremer-led Coalition Provisional Authority in 2004. A statement cited Iraqi Government Spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh as saying that the Council of Ministers decided in a session held the day before yesterday to exclude private security companies from resolution 1, which was issued in 2004 by the Bremer-led Coalition Provisional Authority. Al-Dabbagh said that a draft law will be submitted in the regard to the Council of Ministers in the next meeting." '

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[Sources]

. . . Dubai Al-Sharqiyah Television in Arabic, independent, private news and entertainment channel focusing on Iraq, run by Sa'd al-Bazzaz, publisher of the Arabic-language daily Al-Zaman, carries between 1300 GMT and 2000 GMT on 25 October the following reports on latest political developments in Iraq . . .

Baghdad Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic, government-sponsored television station, run by the Iraqi Media Network, carries within its 1700 GMT newscast . . .

The second report has to do with the Turkish shelling of Iraqi Kurdish villages in reprisal for PKK attacks on Turkish security forces and civilians.

'Kurdish TV Station: Turkish Fighters Bombarded 13 Villages in Northern Iraq
Announcer-read report over video
Roj TV
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Document Type: OSC Translated Text

Fighting and attacks have escalated in South Kurdistan after the ratification of a motion declaring war on South Kurdistan was ratified by the Turkish Parliament. Meanwhile, clashes and bombardments intensified in the area. It was reported that 13 villages in South Kurdistan had been bombarded by fighter planes. In addition to bombardment by fighter planes which took off from Amed (Diyarbakir), the villages also came under gunfire.

Local sources said that F-16 fighters bombarded Kale, Baloka, Zozanit, Abasarki, and Fistahirori villages in Zakho and Nizordi, Saca, Cemki, Koperi, Resaba, and Zili villages in Amediye until dawn.

Meanwhile, military operations launched by the Turkish army in North Kurdistan continue. It was reported that a new operation was launched in a rural area near Tulu village in Dersim (Tunceli) and Kutudere. A large number of troops have reportedly been dispatched to the region.

(Description of Source: Brussels Roj TV in Turkish -- Kurdish television; supportive of the PKK and the People's Congress of Kurdistan, KONGRA-GEL) '