Turkey, Iran step up fights on PKK, PJAK

Increasing acts of violence by outlawed Kurdish organizations in the region have pushed Turkey and Iran to conduct separate operations on the Iraqi border, which has witnessed serious clashes between Iranian forces and militant groups.

The Iranian army has launched a powerful operation against the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan, or PJAK, in Iran, reportedly crossing the Iraqi border as it intensified its efforts in recent days to reach the group’s headquarters in the Kandil Mountains of northern Iraq.

In a separate move, the Turkish military began a limited operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in the Şemdinli district of Hakkari province, on the Iraqi border, the private channel CNNTürk reported Tuesday. It said additional troops have been sent to the military outposts in the region and claimed some targets had been shelled. Turkey’s anti-terror operations have intensified following the killing of 13 troops July 14 in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district.

Diplomatic sources said the two countries’ operations were not linked and no military coordination had been sought thus far despite their continuous cooperation in the anti-terror fight.

PJAK is a banned group with alleged links to the outlawed PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. PJAK operates mostly in Iran from bases in northern Iraq.

The Iranian army launched its recent operation July 16 and clashes between the Sipah Pastaran Army of Iran and PJAK forces intensified over the weekend, the pro-Kurdish Fırat News Agency reported Tuesday, claiming that militants repelled Iranian forces and killed at least five troops. The Iranian army offensive was supported by a strong bombardment, it claimed.

The Fırat News Agency is sympathetic to pro-Kurdish political parties in Turkey and often carries announcements from the PKK.

The Iranian army, however, announced Tuesday that PJAK militants were trapped by a group of Kurdish Basij (volunteer) forces Monday night in the Kandil, Haji Ebrahim and Doleto areas near the towns of Piranshahr and Sardasht in West Azerbaijan province. “The PJAK terrorists were killed by the local Kurdish Basij forces. The bodies of the terrorists were left in the area,” the army said, adding that the operations would continue until the last militant was annihilated.

Ankara mulls new measures

In Ankara, civil and military officials held a security summit Tuesday to review measures taken against growing terrorism acts, including the government’s fresh proposal of giving police a larger role in the anti-terror fight. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chief of General Staff Gen. Işık Koşaner’s weekly meeting turned into a summit as they were joined by Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin and Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay. No statement was made after the one-and-half-hour long meeting.

Search for effective ways to fight terror

The PKK’s deadly ambush of troops in Silvan, which has been followed by other attacks on soldiers, has increased public anger and pushed the government to seek more effective ways to fight terror, including the proposal about the police, which was seen by critics as marginalizing the army. Details of the proposal may have been discussed during Tuesday’s meetings though the government has not made the details of its plan public yet. Opposition parties have severely criticized the government over the proposal, claiming it is a punishment to the army and a sign that it distrusts its effectiveness. “Both our police and military are responsible for the security of our country,” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ told reporters Tuesday in response to opposition criticisms. “We are of the opinion that this move will be to the advantage of our country.” Sending newly recruited soldiers to fight militants is not logical, Bozdağ said, adding that this is why the government was planning to deploy professional soldiers. Ankara has announced that it will recruit nearly 5,000 contracted soldiers to serve the army, especially along the mountainous borders with Iraq and Iran, where militants frequently attack Turkish military outposts. A senior official from the main opposition party on Tuesday demanded information on the developments in the fight against terror. “If you do not have a secret agenda in the fight against terror, we are ready to give support to you,” said Emine Ülker Tarhan, a deputy parliamentary group leader of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP. “Putting the police forward in this fight would cause a rift between army and police.” she added.

/Hurriyet Daily News/