Thread: Archive Latest News - Think Tank - 16/08/07 - 03/11/07

Higher demand for dollar, stable exchange rate in daily auction

Baghdad, Oct 22, (VOI) - Demand for the dollar was higher in the Iraqi Central Bank’s auction on Monday, reaching $114.880 million compared to $94.960 million on Sunday.

In its daily statement, the bank said it had covered all bids, including $19.680 million in cash and $95.200 in foreign transfers, at an exchange rate of 1,232 dinars per dollar, unchanged for the eighth session in a row.
None of the 17 banks that participated in Monday's session offered to sell dollars.

In statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), Ali al-Yasseri, a trader, attributed the increasing demand to Iraqi pilgrims' need for dollars to pay for pilgrimage costs.

The Iraqi Central Bank runs a daily auction from Sunday to Thursday.

Aswat Aliraq

Turkish Prime Minister Warns US: We Will Attack Kurdish Rebels in Iraq
Recep Tayyip Erdogan tells The Times that he needs nobody’s permission to defend his country.

Turkey will launch military action against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq de****e frantic appeals for restraint from America and NATO, its Prime Minister has told The Times.

Speaking hours before the PKK, the Kurdish Workers’ Party, killed at least 17 more Turkish soldiers yesterday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey had urged the US and Iraqi governments repeatedly to expel the separatists but they had done nothing.

Turkey’s patience was running out and the country had every right to defend itself, he said. “Whatever is necessary will be done,” he declared in an interview. “We don’t have to get permission from anybody.”

Mr. Erdogan, who begins a two-day visit to Britain today, also offered a bleak assessment of relations between the US and Turkey, a country of huge strategic importance to Washington. He said that a “serious wave of antiAmericanism” was sweeping Turkey, called America’s war in Iraq a failure, and served warning that if the US Congress approved a Bill accusing the Ottoman Turks of genocide against Armenians during the First World War, the US “might lose a very important friend”.

The sombre and unsmiling Prime Minister was only a little less critical of the European Union, accusing some members of reneging on their promises to admit Turkey and claiming that the EU had inflicted a “big injustice” on his country over Cyprus.

Mr. Erdogan’s belligerence will cause alarm in Washington and London, and was probably designed to do so. One aide said that he was engaging in “open diplomacy”. The Kurdish regional government, which has a force of about 100,000 men, has promised to resist any incursions. The PKK is threatening to destroy pipelines carrying Iraqi oil to Turkey, and the only peaceful region of Iraq could easily be plunged into chaos.

A Turkish attack on PKK bases in northern Iraq would also cause a serious breach with Washington. Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country of 75 million people, has NATO’s second-largest army, is a key ally in America’s “war on terror” and provides a vital supply route for US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Late last night Mr. Erdogan said that Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, had asked Turkey to delay any action for a few days. He told Dr Rice he expected “speedy action” from the US.

But in his interview with The Times Mr. Erdogan was in no mood to heed Western appeals for restraint. The PKK was hiding behind the US and Iraqi governments, he complained. It was using American weapons. “We have told President Bush numerous times how sensitive we are about this issue but have not had a single positive result.”

The targets were not innocent civilians or Iraq’s territorial integrity but a terrorist organisation that regularly attacked Turkish targets, he said. “If a neighbouring country is providing a safe haven for terrorism . . . we have rights under international law and we will use those rights and we don’t have to get permission from anybody.”

Military action could be avoided only if the Americans and Iraqis expelled the PKK, closed its camps and handed over its leaders, he said.

Mr. Erdogan said that last week’s parliamentary vote authorising military action showed that Turkey’s patience was exhausted. He would not be drawn on the scale or timing of any operation, but Turkey is thought to have more than 60,000 soldiers massed along the Iraq border. Other Turkish officials said that the PKK had six training camps and 3,500 fighters in the mountains of northern Iraq.

Mr. Erdogan also rebuked The Times for publishing an interview last week with Murat Karayilan, a PKK leader in northern Iraq. He said that the newspaper had allowed itself to be “used as a propaganda tool”.

Mr. Erdogan will speak in Oxford tonight and meet Gordon Brown tomorrow. He is likely to rebuke the US on several counts. He said that the war in Iraq had fuelled Turkish hostility towards the US. “There’s no success that I can see,” he said. “There are only the deaths of tens of thousands of people. There’s just an Iraq whose entire infrastructure and superstructure has collapsed.”

He accused the Democrat-controlled foreign affairs committee of “firing a bullet” at US-Turkish relations by approving the “so-called Armenian genocide Bill”. “America might lose a very important friend,” he said.

Mr. Erdogan also had harsh words for some European countries. France, Germany and Austria are openly opposed to Turkish membership of the EU. He said that Britain had supported Turkey from the start, but other states who agreed to open accession talks in 2005 were “not standing by their word”. He said that Turkey was “far more advanced” than the most recent entrants from Central Europe.

He identified Cyprus as the main obstacle, and said that the EU perpetrated a “big injustice towards Turkey and the [Turkish] northern Cypriots”. In a referendum in 2004 Turkish Cypriots approved a UN plan to reunite the island whereas the Greek Cypriots rejected it. He protested that the Greek Cypriots were rewarded for their obstinacy with EU membership while the Turks were punished.

The interview took place in an office with a spectacular view towards Asia. De****e his criticism Mr. Erdogan insisted that Turkey had decided irrevocably to throw in its lot with the West, and not with Russia and the East.

PUKmedia :: English - Turkish Prime Minister Warns US: We Will Attack Kurdish Rebels in Iraq

PKK to announce a Cease Fire

Iraqi President, his Excellency Jalal Talabani today before his return to Baghdad in Sulaimani International Airport, during a press conference has announced that PKK scheduled to announce a unilateral cease fire this evening.

PUKmedia :: English - PKK to announce a Cease Fire

Jordan says it's 'Deeply Concerned' by Turkish Troop Offensive in Northern Iraq

Jordan said Monday it was deeply concerned by a Turkish troop offensive in northern Iraq and urged dialogue between the neighbors to resolve the brewing crisis.

Jordan's comments come as dozens of Turkish military vehicles headed toward the Iraqi border Monday, a day after 12 soldiers were killed in an ambush by Kurdish rebels. The attack has pushed Turkey closer to a possible incursion into Iraq to target insurgents hiding there.

Chief Jordanian government spokesman Nasser Judeh said Turkey was an "important" player in the region's landscape but "we're concerned about Iraq's security, unity and integrity."

"We're very worried about what's happening in that area and we urge everybody to refrain from violence, but resort to dialogue to solve this issue peacefully," Judeh told a press briefing.

"Although Jordan is mindful about Iraq's security, it's also mindful about the security of its (Iraq's) neighbors" he added, in a reference to Turkey.

The Jordanian spokesman's comments also come as Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan was in the region, visiting Kuwait on Monday.

During his previous stops that including Egypt, Babacan said his country was drawing up a plan to send troops into northern Iraq to fight Kurdish guerrilla groups after long attempting to work with the U.S. and Iraqi governments to resolve the problems of Kurdish guerrillas who use northern Iraq as a rear base to attack Turkish territory.

Kurdish rebels periodically cross the border to wage attacks in their war for autonomy from Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast. More than 30,000 people have died in the conflict that began in 1984.

Hours after Sunday's attack, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani — himself a Kurd — ordered the guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, to lay down their arms or leave Iraq.

But Turkey seemed to be determined to carry out the attacks against the PKK, saying Iraqi statements must be followed by deeds.

PUKmedia :: English - Jordan says it's 'Deeply Concerned' by Turkish Troop Offensive in Northern Iraq

Germany concerned at Escalation on Turkish-Iraq Border

Germany appealed to Turkey and Iraq on Monday to ensure stability along their border following renewed clashes between Turkish troops and Iraq-based Kurdish rebels. Government spokesman Thomas Steg described the situation as "sensitive" and said Germany was concerned at the latest developments.

His appeal came a day after 44 people died in fighting between Turkish troops and rebels of the Kurdish Workers Party PKK. Turkey said 12 of the victims were soldiers.

Steg said Germany was aware of Ankara's concern about the activities of the PKK, which is classed as terrorist organization in the European Union and outlawed in Germany.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier telephoned his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan to urge Ankara to refrain from steps which could destabilize the region.

The Turkish parliament last week passed a resolution sanctioning cross-border missions by the military into mountainous northern Iraq where around 3, 5000 PKK guerrillas are based.

More than 32,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched its fight for independence or autonomy for the mainly Kurdish- populated south-east of Turkey.

PUKmedia :: English - Germany concerned at Escalation on Turkish-Iraq Border

Iraqi Parliament holds Session in Attendance of Ministers of Foreign, Defense and National Security

The Iraqi parliament today held a session headed by its president, Mahmud al-Mashhadani.

Mahmud al-Mashhadani announced that the closed session is devoted to discussing the Turkish threats to Iraqi Kurdistan region’s border areas in attendance of Minister of Defense, Abdul Kadir al-Ubaidi, Iraqi FM, Hoshiyar Zebari, and Minster of National Security Sherwan al-Waely.

“Iraqi Minister of Defense stressed on the need for dealing with the Iraqi-Turkey crises through peaceful options, indicating that keeping security of the Iraqi territory is addressed to the MNF-Iraq according to the Security Council’s resolution ,reassuring that the triple committee which includes Iraq, Turkey and US will meet to coordinate their stances.” Abbas al-Bayati exclusively told PUKmedia on Monday about the topics of the session.

PUKmedia :: English - Iraqi Parliament holds Session in Attendance of Ministers of Foreign, Defense and National Security

Turkish FM to Visit Baghdad for Crisis Talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will visit Baghdad on Tuesday for talks with Iraqi leaders about the crisis over Kurdish rebels, an advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said.

"Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari told parliament today that the Turkish foreign minister will visit Baghdad tomorrow for negotiations with Iraqi leaders," Sami al-Askari told AFP.

"Zebari also said in parliament that an Iraqi delegation is expected to visit Turkey soon to continue the dialogue with Ankara." Babacan is currently holding talks with officials in Kuwait.

PUKmedia :: English - Turkish FM to Visit Baghdad for Crisis Talks

French FM calls for Calm amid PKK Attacks

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called on Sunday for calm amid rising tensions on Turkey-Iraq border, saying military actions would hardly be effective in curbing the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).

Situations on the border between Turkey and Iraq have become very dangerous, which has posed serious threats to regional stability, Kouchner told a press conference.

In****e of the rising tensions, he called for restraint on all parties concerned, as it was hardly possible to solve the problem through armed attacks, he said.

The Turkish parliament approved Wednesday of motion backing incursion into Iraq in armed operations against the PKK in northern Iraq.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the EU, launched an armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in the mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking decades of strife that has claimed more than 30,000 lives.

PUKmedia :: English - French FM calls for Calm amid PKK Attacks

PKK: We Extend the Hand of Peace again and are Ready for Dialogue with Turkey to Resolve our Issue

In response to the appeal of President Jalal Talabani and President, Massoud Barzani, announced Kurdistani Community Organization (a political wing of PKK) today, Monday, agreed to a political solution to the Kurdish issue away from the fighting and violence...

we will soon publish the statement issued by the Kurdistani Community Organization.

PUKmedia :: English - PKK: We Extend the Hand of Peace again and are Ready for Dialogue with Turkey to Resolve our Issue

PKK announced its Peaceful Initiative

In a statement published in the Firat News Agency, in response to the plea of Mr. Jalal Talabani, President of the Republic of Iraq, and Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan region, PKK, today announced its willingness to cease-fire and move toward political working to resolve problems through diplomatic channels.

A statement by the Kurdistani Community Organization (a political wing of PKK) announced that Kurdistan Workers Party is ready to discuss a political settlement for the Kurdish issue far away from the violence, through peace and dialogue ,and within the existing boundaries of the States in which Kurdish people live.

The statement added: “We call for the simplest human rights of the Kurdish people, such as recognition of its Kurdish identity and allow it to enjoy exercising cultural and political work freely. Finding a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in the region will be an important step towards the development of democracy and stability in the region. As an initiative from as to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey, we frequently declared unilateral cease-fires, but the response of successive Turkish governments and the Turkish army was by iron and fire ,operations , large and intense military campaigns in Kurdistan, involving thousands of military troops backed by all types of conventional weapons.”

As stated in the statement: “What is taking place now of clashes in the area are the result of Turkish policies and thinking of denying Kurdish people issue in Turkey, and we believe the entry of some representatives to the Turkish Parliament is a great opportunity for the Turkish government to develop the dialogue and find a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue, but unfortunately, we have not seen so far by the government of the Justice and Development Party only indictments , threats to these representatives ,the arrest of some Kurdish mayors and putting them in jail only because they spoke in the Kurdish language. They have not been content with that, but merely issued a note to attack on the Iraqi Kurdistan region, while the Kurdistan region of Iraq has its official existence at the Iraqi and international levels, while the leaders of the region are only demanding political and peaceful solutions to the Kurdish issue.”

The statement issued by the Kurdistani Community Organization on behalves of Kurdistan Workers Party says: “At the time, we declare our readiness to defend our people and its issue we stress that we always prefer a peaceful and democratic solution, through civilized methods, so we extend the hand of peace once again, we are ready to discuss the issue and to negotiate with others to solve this issue. Besides, we are asking the Turkish side to stop its military operations and do not interference in Kurdistan region of Iraq, if Turkey persisted in its hostility against the Kurdish people we will have to defend ourselves and our people.”

PUKmedia :: English - PKK announced its Peaceful Initiative