October 29,2008:
In southeastern Turkey, near the
Iraqi border, pro-PKK demonstrations have continued for five days, leaving 5-10
people injured.
October 26,
2008: In late 2007, Turkish military and
senior security officials said that while military efforts against the PKK had
been successful, Turkey had not used "psychological" and political means as
effectively as it could. Psychological included contrasting the PKK's ethnic
political vision with that of Turkey. The Justice and Development Party (AKP)
actually began a program five years ago to attract ethnic Kurdish votes in
southeastern Turkey. The AKP has gotten a lot of votes for that effort. The AKP
promised that the southeast would get money for infrastructure development, to
include roads and a new electrical grid. Now Turkey's National Security Council
(MGK) is considering a "new paradigm" for combating terror in Turkey, with the
PKK as a primary focus but not the sole focus. Some Turkish media has called it
"civilianizing" the counter-terror war but that isn't quite right. It is really
an attempt to coordinate counter-terror efforts. The Interior Ministry would be
enlarged and border security receiving increased emphasis.
October 25,
2008: The US military command in Iraq said that it is working with both Iraq
and Turkey to stop PKK rebels from attacking Turkey from bases inside Iraq.
October 24,
2008: The military claimed that air attacks on PKK positions in Iraq had killed
at least 25 PKK rebels. This follows a week where the military reported 17 PKK
fighters were killed in operations in southeastern Turkey.
October 20,
2008: An ethnic Kurd was killed in a clash with police during a demonstration
in the town of Dogubayazit (southeast Turkey, near the Iran border). A Turkish
policeman was injured in the demonstrations.
October 17,
2008: Turkish fighter-bombers struck PKK bases in Iraq's Khandil Mountains.
October 16,
2008: Five Turkish soldiers and five PKK rebels died in a series of firefights
in Hakkari province (southeast Turkey).