Monday, September 12, 2011

Turkey Wants Predators To Fight Kurdish Rebels


U.S. Considering Ankara’s Request To Base Predators In Turkey To Fight A Kurdish Group In Northern Iraq -- Washington Post

The Obama administration is considering a request from Turkey to base a fleet of Predator drones on Turkish soil for counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq, a decision that could strengthen a diplomatic alliance but drag the United States deeper into a regional conflict.

The U.S. military has flown the unarmed Predators from Iraqi bases since 2007 and shared the planes’ surveillance video with Turkey as part of a secretive joint crackdown against fighters from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Unless a new home for the Predators is found, however, the counterterrorism partnership could cease by Dec. 31, when all U.S. forces are scheduled to withdraw from Iraq.

Read more
....

My Comment: They will not say it publicly, Turkey wants a prid pro quo for basing NATO's anti-missile defense radar in their country.

No comments: