Turkish F16 landing at Diyarbakir air base
(24 Oct 2007) 1. Various of one Turkish F16 fighterjet landing at Diyarbakir air base STORYLINE: AP Television filmed a Turkish F16 fighterjet landing at Diyarbakir air base on Wednesday. AP cannot confirm the nature of the aircraft's mission nor its flight history. The footage came as the country's official Anatolia news agency said warplanes and helicopter gunships bombed positions of Kurdish rebels along the rugged Iraqi-Turkish border. According to the Anatolia news agency, Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships bombed positions of Kurdish rebels along the border with Iraq on Wednesday, targeting mountain paths used by rebels to infiltrate into Turkey. Turkey's leaders face growing demands at home to stage the offensive into northern Iraq, where the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party - the PKK - rest, train and get supplies in relative safety before returning to Turkey to conduct attacks. A government official confirmed on Wednesday that Turkish helicopter gunships had penetrated into Iraqi territory on Sunday and that troops have shelled suspected Kurdish rebel positions across the border in Iraq. Turkey, which has moved troops to the Iraq border, warned Iraq and Western allies on Tuesday that a Turkish incursion is imminent unless the US-backed government in Baghdad takes action, and said there would be no ceasefire with the separatist fighters. A high-level delegation from Iraq was expected to visit Ankara on Thursday. Turkey seems willing to refrain from a major cross-border action until at least early next month, when it is scheduled to host foreign ministers for a meeting about Iraq. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has proposed a meeting among the United States, Iraq and Turkey during the 2-3 November conference in Istanbul. Almost immediately afterward, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to go to Washington to meet with US President George W. Bush. The Turkish leader is likely to reiterate demands that the US-backed government in Iraq take steps to close off supply lines to the PKK and take other measures to reduce the group's effectiveness, possibly including military action. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
