BY MUHARREM SARIKAYA
SABAH- The General Staff announced on Saturday that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) had conducted a cross-border operation into northern Iraq. The announcement stated that in the southeastern Cukurca district, but across the border in Iraqi territory, the TSK had targeted 50-60 PKK terrorists and inflicted heavy losses. It stressed that the operation didn't target regional forces if they didn't assume a hostile attitude.
That same day, a high-level official of the Northern Iraqi Regional Administration made a statement on the development, according to Iraqi Border Guard Commandership reports, saying, `There is no information that Turkish troops crossed the border. The operation may have taken place in the restricted no-man's land which is not under our control.'
Through this statement, the regional administration for the first time voiced a remark on the restricted no-man's land.
The regional administration had never previously made such a remark, but only used the term `the region out of our control' or `no man's land' for the Kandil Mountains.
Indeed, Turkey has been implementing this since June 8 in some parts of the territory inside its own border.
Under the law, the TSK formed certain `restricted military zones' or `security regions' where entering and exiting are forbidden.
It seems that a similar situation has also emerged on the other side of the border.
So Turkey put a buffer zone into force in Iraqi territory, repeating something it did on the eve of the Iraq war, before it was urged to leave.
Following the Daglica incident, in which over a dozen Turkish soldiers were killed by the PKK, Turkey's initiatives with US and Iraqi officials have yielded results.
It is understood that a border region from Uludere to Hakkari will hereafter be a `no-man's land.'
No activity will be allowed in this region, where the PKK's Zap and Hakurk camps are also located.
The Northern Iraqi Regional Government has already been saying that there were no units allocated to this region and that the area was under the control of the terrorist group.
When I asked Deputy Premier Cemil Cicek about the `no-man's land' yesterday, he didn't want to comment on it, but only said that the TSK knows the region very well and is doing and will do whatever is necessary. Asked whether there is any agreement between the Iraqi government and Ankara on forming `restricted no-man's land,' Cicek replied briefly: `We have agreements with the Baghdad administration on a number of topics. We're implementing them step by step. Turkey wants to get rid of the terrorism on our soil. This is where we're at. The rest is details.'
When I repeated my question, his answer was unchanged. He neither confirmed nor denied it.