Kurdish militants attack Turkish outpost, 13 killed

[Aslan]

(Reuters) - Twelve Kurdish militants and one Turkish soldier were killed in clashes along the Turkey-Iraq border after the militants opened fire from inside Iraq on a remote outpost in southeast Turkey, security sources said on Tuesday.

The attack coincides with efforts to end a near three-decade insurgency through talks with the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.

A group of PKK militants, located in northern Iraq about 8 km (5 miles) from Cukurca, a remote and mountainous border district in Turkey's Hakkari province, opened fire on the Karatas military outpost on Monday night, the sources said.

Turkish security forces fired mortars at the militants who were using the area's thick fog and snowfall as cover, they said. One Turkish soldier was killed in the initial attack and 12 rebels were killed by the return fire.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. The militants began fighting in 1984 with the aim of carving out a separate state in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey. They now seek autonomy in the region.

The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

[Kurdistano]

(Reuters) - Twelve Kurdish militants and one Turkish soldier were killed in clashes along the Turkey-Iraq border after the militants opened fire from inside Iraq on a remote outpost in southeast Turkey, security sources said on Tuesday.

The attack coincides with efforts to end a near three-decade insurgency through talks with the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group.

A group of PKK militants, located in northern Iraq about 8 km (5 miles) from Cukurca, a remote and mountainous border district in Turkey's Hakkari province, opened fire on the Karatas military outpost on Monday night, the sources said.

Turkish security forces fired mortars at the militants who were using the area's thick fog and snowfall as cover, they said. One Turkish soldier was killed in the initial attack and 12 rebels were killed by the return fire.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. The militants began fighting in 1984 with the aim of carving out a separate state in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey. They now seek autonomy in the region.

The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

its this kind of incidences which make me believe that the PKK is infected with Turkish nationalist agents. Or else what sense does this attack make in this period?

[Piling]

The same things happened many times when the AKP did state that they will make a step to resolve the Kurdish question. There were sudden attacks, often from the PKK, then the Turkish public opinion shout that they could not negotiate with terrorists who killed our boys bla bla boa and the pro-war side won.

But among the PKK there should be also people who don't want negotiation for many reasons, for example because they don't want to surrender and disarm as Öcalan said.

[Anthea]

But among the PKK there should be also people who don't want negotiation for many reasons, for example because they don't want to surrender and disarm as Öcalan said.

Those would be the intelligent one who are not stupid enough to trust Turkey

What date was the PKK declared a terrorist organisation?

Everyone knows that if anyone ever wants to achieve anything one has to negotiate from a position of power. At the end of World War 11, did England and America give their weapons to Germany saying "We have won, here are our weapon, now we will discuss your surrender?"

Think of ALL the conflicts worldwide that there have ever been, which group or country achieved success by being the first to give up their weapons or positions of power ?

I remember way back when the PKK could openly attend meetings with MPs and help put their case before Parliament. Then, all of a sudden, they were declared TERRORISTS and SILENCED

[Kurdistano]

The same things happened many times when the AKP did state that they will make a step to resolve the Kurdish question. There were sudden attacks, often from the PKK, then the Turkish public opinion shout that they could not negotiate with terrorists who killed our boys bla bla boa and the pro-war side won.

But among the PKK there should be also people who don't want negotiation for many reasons, for example because they don't want to surrender and disarm as Öcalan said.

From your perspective it sounds like AKP did ever try really to solve this problem. Even though I criticize some actions of the PKK, It is clear as water to me that AKP has not done enough to solve this problem, in opposite just like all chauvinistic Turkish parties, they do everything they can to stop Kurdish improvements, even outside the modern borders of Turkey.

[Piling]

AKP is not a chauvinist party, but a bunch of opportunists. They don't care of nationalism, they want to make profit, business, and being reelected. The resolution of the Kurdish question was a mean to gain a UE membership. But UE has not still accepted. Then they tried to play a regional Middle-East game, and abandoned their 'Kurdish opening'. Now Middle-East involvement has its limits, so they will try something else, according to their own interests.

They have not real ideology and dislike Kemalists. They are not humanists and don't cry about Kurdish fate, but if peace with Kurds can bring them a new electoral success, they would shake Öcalan's hands. But they know also that Turkish opinion is deeply anti-PKK.

At the contrary, the aims of Ergenekon plot were clear : conflicts, terrorism and war should be fed, leading to a destabilization of the country and allowing a putsch. So nationalists have more interests than AKP to continue the war.

Concerning the Kurdish side, it is the same. They are doves and hawks, for good or bad reasons. A common mistake is to presents 'Turks' and 'Kurds' as 2 single and simple blocks without divisions and difference among their ranks.

[Fire]

Lol. I laugh about the people who really believe this. The international media always take their sources from the turkish media and the Turks always lie. Every single day they say, so many PKK Terrorist died and so on to reassure the pathetic racist turkish people. A couple of years ago, they said they got Karayilan and next day Karayilan was just smiling in front of ROJ TV Cameras. I think we have to many Anti-PKK people here in Roj Bash who try everything what they can to drag PKK through the mire. I don't always coincide 100 % with PKK, but I feel sorry for every Kurd who still doesn't notice or doesn't want to notice how much PKK did for the kurdish people and what they are still doing. Without the PKK the Kurds in Turkey would be nothing. Those Barzani and KRG lovers should first of all recognize how good the Connection between KRG , the US and Turkey is before they make someone like Barzani a hero.