Turkey authorizes strikes inside Iraq against Kurds

October 18, 2007

The Turkish parliament's vote on Wednesday authorizing military strikes against Kurdish separatists inside Iraq has raised questions of how its neighbor, and the entire Middle East, will react. Its US ally and Iraqi leaders have cautioned against the move, warning it could destabilize the region. The parliamentary motion leaves it up to the government to determine the timing and scope of an attack. Some analysts suggest it is more a diplomatic tool than a military one, aimed at pressing for more Iraqi cooperation instead of an immediate cross-border strike.