Beltway Area Indymedia

With Turkey threatening an invasion of northern Iraq to attack Kurds and rebel forces stationed there, the Iraqi Parliament warned that any such military action would be "repulsed". Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, Speaker of the Iraq Parliament, said any Turkish "hand" interfereing "in our internal affairs will be cut, if not today then tomorrow." The warnings echoed statements from the Iraqi Kurdistan assembly, which called Turkey's threats of invasion a "dangerous escalation" and a "threat to the Iraqi people."

The government of Turkey has launched a major military operation against the Kurdish Workers Party, known as the PKK, in southeast Turkey, and the Turkish military officially requested permission from the government to cross the border into northern Iraq. Turkish General Yasar Buyukanit stated, "An operation into Iraq is necessary."