Turkey Attacks

Juan Cole cues us in to a Turkish attack on northern Iraq:

"Turkish airforce jets on Thursday struck in northern Iraq, bombing bases believed to be operated by the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Cihan news agency reports. The PKK which is banned in Turkey had earlier appealed to the population in the villages in Iraqi Kurdistan, near the Turkish border, to leave the area, predicting military attacks by Turkey and Iran. The separatist group also said it had proposed some sort of truce to Ankara.

"Turkish military officials stated that the F-16 jets which took off during the night had inflicted serious casualties on the PKK, the agency reported, adding that ground operations are continuing along the Iraqi border."

This is not the first Turkish military operation in Iraqi Kurdistan in recent weeks, though it is the most serious. There are also reports of Iranian involvement. Someone should explore how Iranian interests in the Kurdish question play into the nuclear program stand-off.