Embattled Kurds fight the IS group
BAGHDAD – Turkish jets struck camps belonging to Kurdish militants in northern Iraq on Friday and Saturday in what were the first strikes since a peace deal was announced in 2013.
The strikes in Iraq targeted the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, whose affiliates have been effective in battling the Islamic State group.
The Kurds of Syria and Iraq have become a major part of the war against the Islamic State group, with Kurdish populations in both countries threatened by the militants’ advance. Syrian, Iraqi and Turkish Kurds took part in cross-border operations to help rescue tens of thousands of displaced people from the minority Yazidi group from Iraq’s Sinjar Mountain in August last year, and they continue to fight in cooperation with one another against the Islamic State group in areas along the Iraq-Syria border.
They have been somewhat effective in limiting the expansion of the Islamic State militants across northern Iraq, but there are concerns that Turkish airstrikes on the PKK could jeopardize Kurdish positions.
Is Turkey fighting IS to gain U.S. favor?
ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s sudden willingness to join the fight against the Islamic State group is a sign that it’s afraid of losing clout with the U.S., but its second front against Kurdish rebels in Iraq on Saturday could complicate Washington’s war.
For months, Ankara had been reluctant to join the U.S.-led coalition against IS despite gains made by the extremist group on Turkey’s doorstep.
Now, Turkish warplanes are directly targeting IS locations – the latest bombing run coming early Saturday for a second consecutive day. Turkey then opened a second front on Kurdish rebel sites.
The strikes against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, muddle the U.S.-led fight against IS. The U.S. has relied on Syrian Kurdish fighters affiliated with the PKK while making gains against IS.
Associated Press
