Turkish Soldiers/Heavy Weapons Headed Toward Iraq Border... LINK

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071022/turkey/

"Turkish Military Heads Toward Iraq Border"

VOLKAN SARISAKAL | October 22, 2007 10:40 AM EST |

"SIRNAK, Turkey — Dozens of Turkish military vehicles loaded with soldiers and heavy weapons rumbled toward the Iraq border on Monday after an ambush by rebel Kurds that left eight soldiers missing and killed 12. Turkey's foreign minister said his country will pursue diplomacy before it sends troops across the rugged frontier.

The military said it had had no contact with the eight soldiers after Sunday's clash and said 34 guerrillas had been killed so far in a counteroffensive. A pro-Kurdish news agency said the eight were captured _ a claim that would make it the largest seizure since 1995, when guerrillas grabbed eight soldiers and took them to northern Iraq.

The ambush on Sunday outraged an already frustrated public. Demonstrations erupted across the country and opposition leaders called for an immediate strike against rebel bases in Iraq, despite appeals for restraint from Iraq, the U.S. and European leaders.

In Washington, the State Department said the United States has opened a diplomatic "full court press" to urge Turkey not to invade northern Iraq. "In our view, there are better ways to deal with this issue," spokesman Sean McCormack said, stressing that the United States regards the PKK as a terrorist organization.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a telephone conversation on Sunday night that Turkey expected "speedy steps from the U.S." in cracking down on Kurdish rebels and that Rice, who called the Turkish leader, asked "for a few days" from him."

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And thank you for the post.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9BF455F2-4D25-48F4-AEC7-B3AB1C3E9A62.htm

PKK fighters 'offer Turkey truce'

"Turkey's parliament on Wednesday authorised cross-border operations against Kurdish fighters

Kurdish fighters based in northern Iraq have offered to lay down their arms if Turkey abandons plans to launch cross-border raids against them. "We are ready for a ceasefire if the Turkish army stops attacking our positions, drops plans for an incursion and resorts to peace," a statement from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said on Monday.

The PKK killed 17 Turkish troops in an attack early on Sunday in Hakkari province near the Iraq border. Turkey's military said that 32 Kurdish fighters died in subsequent clashes.

The announcement on a PKK website came just hours after Turkey's foreign minister said that all diplomatic efforts would be exhausted before troops were sent into northern Iraq."

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Now that Turkey has mobilized their soldiers and heavy equipment and are moving toward the border, we will see if they stop to pursue the diplomatic option they publicly stated they wanted to pursue.

I have my doubts whether this movement of troops and material is going to stop before entering Iraq.