Jacques N. Couvas

ANKARA — With attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) multiplying and spreading to a larger number of Turkish provinces, Ankara is under increasing pressure by nationalistic parties to take tougher measures against Kurdish activism, including a full-blown land incursion by the Turkish armed forces into northern Iraq. Since June, the PKK has changed its … Continue reading “Northern Iraq Instead of Syria: Turkey’s New Target?”

ANKARA – Triumphalism, which generally prevails in official communiqués and the Turkish media following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visits abroad, was dimmed Monday night at the end of the meeting between him and US President George W. Bush. The meeting was called to discuss the crisis in northern Iraq. The expectation of editorialists and … Continue reading “Iran Becomes the Trade-Off for Northern Iraq”

ANKARA – Tension between Turkey, Iraq and the United States went up another degree as Turkish artillery continued Wednesday and Thursday to shell civilian targets and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions across its border, while army helicopters launched several raids along the border separating Turkey from northern Iraq. The attacks, reported by state-controlled Anadolu and … Continue reading “Turkish Incursion Into Iraq a Minefield Larger Than It Looks”

ANKARA – The button of the stopwatch counting down the invasion of northern Iraq by the Turkish army was probably pressed on Tuesday, at an impromptu meeting between Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The two men have, in theory, scheduled meetings on Thursdays, which are often not maintained, as … Continue reading “Countdown to Turkish Invasion of Iraq Begins”