Turkish soldiers deployed in Iraq will open fire on Kurdish fighters if they come under attack, a senior general has warned. Iraqi Kurds are strongly opposed to the Turkish deployment, agreed by the Turkish parliament last week, as are some members of the Iraqi governing council. The size of the Turkish deployment, and its exact location, have yet to be agreed but confrontations are possible as convoys pass through the Iraqi Kurdish north on their way south. “If the convoys are attacked, the necessary response will be given,” said the army’s deputy chief of staff, General Ilker Basbug. “The Turkish armed forces have the abilities and capacity to protect their convoys and themselves.” The risk of possible conflict with Iraqi Kurds, and remnants of Turkish Kurdish militant groups in Iraq, has led some Turkish commentators to oppose the deployment. Full Story
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