# Turkey wants U.S. to crack down on Kurdish rebels (PKK) in northern Iraq **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 2, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577 "2007-02-02T18:36:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/1 "2007-02-02T18:36:39Z")
Story [here.](http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02221936.htm) According to [Wikipedia,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKK#Current_status) the PKK declared a cease-fire (which the Turkish government did not accept) last September. Nevertheless, the Turks still seem worried PKK forces camping out in Iraqi Kurdistan will resume cross-border attacks into Turkey. Should we oblige the Turks on this point? If we do, how will it affect Iraqi Kurdish support for the U.S./Coalition? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/2 "2007-02-02T22:01:23Z")
No, we should not oblige the Turks. Perhaps if the Turks were to treat the Kurds normally, the Kurds might not want to seperate. Equally, the Turks - and the Allies - might as well realise that the Kurds have a well-developed sense of nationhood and let them free to form their own nation. Remember that Turkey is simply the remnant of the Ottoman Empire (and the Byzantine Empire before that) and that Iraq is an artificial construct of the British. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/3 "2007-02-02T22:07:40Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Story [here.](http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02221936.htm) According to [Wikipedia,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PKK#Current_status) the PKK declared a cease-fire (which the Turkish government did not accept) last September. Nevertheless, the Turks still seem worried PKK forces camping out in Iraqi Kurdistan will resume cross-border attacks into Turkey. Should we oblige the Turks on this point? [/quote] No. Attacking groups that offer a cease fire is of questionable morality, and definately _not_ a good way to promote peace in the region. Why would anyone even offer peace if they knew doing so would get a bombing in return ? [QUOTE=BrainGlutton] If we do, how will it affect Iraqi Kurdish support for the U.S./Coalition? [/QUOTE] Destroy it, I imagine. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/4 "2007-02-02T22:54:43Z")
Gee, look! Another predicted consequence of going into Iraq that was completely ignored by the Administration rears its ugly little head! Whodathunk? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/5 "2007-02-03T00:50:06Z")
Well, since my best guess for the eventual outcome in Iraq is an independent nation called ‘Kurdistan’ or somesuch I’d guess we’re not about to do any damn thing and the Turkish government can suck it hard. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/6 "2007-02-04T02:14:16Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Equally, the Turks - and the Allies - might as well realise that the Kurds have a well-developed sense of nationhood and let them free to form their own nation. [/QUOTE] True. But when was the last time any state **willingly** gave up any part of its national territory? (I’m talking about Turkey here, not Iraq, whose statehood is fluid at the moment.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/7 "2007-02-04T02:40:06Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Should we oblige the Turks on this point? [/QUOTE] No. From your article (emphasis added) > [@](#): > > Ankara has repeatedly threatened to send troops into northern Iraq to crush Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels if U.S. and Iraqi government forces fail to take action, though most analysts dismiss the threats as rhetoric to impress voters. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/turkey-wants-u-s-to-crack-down-on-kurdish-rebels-pkk-in-northern-iraq/390577/8 "2007-02-04T03:03:21Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] No. From your article (emphasis added) [/QUOTE] So we don’t need to act against the PKK in northern Iraq to preempt the Turks from crossing the border and doing it themselves. That’s not the **only** conceivable reason to oblige them. The question now becomes: How much do we value our long-standing alliance with Turkey?