Seperatist Threat to Turky : A Timeline View

30 Sep, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7020360.stm

Twelve people have been killed after Kurdish separatists ordered them off a bus in south-east Turkey and opened fire.

Civilians and armed guards were said to be among the victims of the ambush, and just two passengers survived. The attack, in Sirnak province near the Iraqi border, followed the killing of a Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader.
On Friday Iraq and Turkey signed a security agreement aimed at curbing the activities of the banned PKK.
The Turkish government in Ankara says 4,000 PKK fighters are operating from the Iraqi side of the border. Turkey has been considering crossing the border to pursue the group.

Sticking point
But on Friday Iraq denied Turkey permission to pursue armed separatists onto Iraqi territory.
Instead they signed a wide-ranging deal, pledging to prevent finance, logistical support and propaganda for the PKK.
Ankara has warned Baghdad to crack down on Kurdish rebels in Iraq or face a possible incursion by Turkish troops.
The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in south-eastern Turkey since 1984 and more than 30,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
The PKK has been labelled a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU.

07 Oct, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7033075.stm

Kurdish fighters from the separatist group, PKK, have killed 13 Turkish soldiers in an attack close to the country's border with Iraq. It is one of the heaviest losses the Turkish military has sustained in clashes with the group. Reports say only one PKK fighter was killed.
The Turkish military shelled the border area in an attempt to prevent the fighters from fleeing to northern Iraq. Ankara says about 3,000 PKK fighters are based in Kurdish-run north Iraq.

Constant clashes
The BBC's Sarah Rainsford says there have been almost constant clashes between Turkish forces and the PKK since thousands of troops were deployed in the border region earlier this year. She says this latest ambush will increase military pressure on the Turkish government to send troops across the border. Last month Iraq denied Turkey permission to pursue armed separatists onto Iraqi territory. Instead Iraq and Turkey signed a wide-ranging security agreement, pledging to prevent finance, logistical support and propaganda for the PKK.

08 Oct, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7034442.stm

Pressure mounts for Turkish action
All day Turkish news anchors have been reading out the names of 13 soldiers killed in Sirnak by the PKK. There have been pictures of their families clutching photographs of young men in uniform.
This summer, pro-Kurdish politicians were elected to parliament for the first time in 15 years. The inclusion of the DTP party lifted hopes that the Kurds' complaints could be addressed in a peaceful, democratic forum instead. But the Sirnak attacks are likely to hinder that, particularly as the DTP refuses to label the PKK as terrorists. Those arguing for an exclusively militaristic approach are gaining the upper hand again.

09 Oct, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7035751.stm

The Turkish government is seeking parliamentary approval for a possible cross-border military operation to hunt down Kurdish separatists in Iraq.
Iraq said that the best way to confront the rebels was through a security accord signed with Turkey last month. The US also warned Turkey against making an incursion into northern Iraq. "If they have a problem, they need to work together to resolve it and I am not sure that unilateral incursions are the way to go," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

10 Oct, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7038350.stm

Several people have been injured by a bomb attack in south-east Turkey. Policemen and civilians were injured when a device was thrown at a police vehicle in the city of Diyarbakir. The attack came as Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships bombed suspected positions of Kurdish rebels near the Turkish-Iraqi border.