Tuesday, March 4, 2008 | SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ
ANKARA- Turkey's top general said the military will continue to launch cross-border operations into northern Iraq to hunt down outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists when needed.
“We have taught them a lesson. But there will be more lessons to be taught to them in the future,” Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt, Chief of General Staff, said yesterday at a press conference with the Ankara representatives of the press.
In his first press appearance after the eight-day military campaign in Iraq, Büyükanıt explained the objectives of the incursion and responded to claims that the military withdrew from the region upon the United States' imposition. “If anyone can prove such a thing I will strip off my uniform,” Büyükanıt said. “Arguing such a thing is not only an insult to the Turkish Armed Forces but also the Republic of Turkey.”
He said the operation was planned “to deliver the strongest blow to the PKK in the shortest time period and with minimum martyrs and therefore extending it would cause more casualties in the military.”
He said he did not discuss the timeline of the withdrawal from the region with Robert Gates, the U.S. defense secretary. “I say it again. There was no influence from outside or inside. In our first statement after we launched the campaign we had made clear that the troops will return home after the objectives are met.”
“I advise those who say to us to leave some troops in northern Iraq or to extend the operation to stay two days in these weather and land conditions. There are some people who haven't even seen the region in their dreams and are talking on the matter,” he said.
However, the PKK cannot be totally eliminated through a single ground operation, Büyükanıt maintained, and said, “If need be there will be more incursions.”
He also said the operation was in full coordination with the state's institutions and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was aware of the timetable.
The country's top general said the target was only the Zap region in northern Iraq where the assaults against Turkey are planned. “We have identified around 300 terrorists in the region, 240 of them were eliminated. I am sure they have given more casualties but it is not possible to precisely know it,” Büyükanıt said.
He also said the operation was successful and almost all objectives were met. “Everyone is asking…Why this season? We knew we could turn the weather and geographical disadvantages into an advantage. And we did it,” he said. He also said that no military vehicles were used during the operation except for helicopters and all troops had to walk to reach their targets. Büyükanıt said the aims were to inflict a heavy blow to the PKK and to end its hopes, and to show the entire world the military's operational capacity.
Büyükanıt also criticized some circles, which advise the military not to deal with terrorism through solely military means, alluding to a recent statement by Gates who had said, “Turkey should also deal with the problem with other instruments.”
“What they refer to is a political solution. What do they mean with political solution? When you ask you are faced with the PKK's program: ‘Kurdish identity should enter in constitution. Recognize Kurdish as official language. Issue a general amnesty…!” Büyükanıt said.
He said allowing Kurdish education will cause serious consequences for the future of the country. "Sometimes I think that those who suggest this do not think about the complexity of their proposals," he said.