Kurdish guerrillas killed at least a dozen Turkish soldiers in a cross-border raid Sunday morning, exploding into the fiercest fighting between the PKK rebel group and the Turks in years.
A landmine also exploded in Dacliga, the town where the ambush occurred.
The attack, which took place within 10 miles of the Iraqi border, has serious implications and could lead to Turkey sending troops across the border into Iraq.
Last week, the Turkish parliament authorized such an action, but Iraq's government asked the Turks to wait and let them deal with the Kurdish rebels. This attack could change that dynamic.
Top Turkish leaders, who are under intense pressure to take action, have called an emergency meeting in Ankara. A decision to attack the group in the hard-to-reach mountainous area of Iraqi Kurdistan could put the United States in a difficult position — as the Iraqi Kurds are, like the Turkish, U.S. allies.
The PPK rebel group consists of Kurds from across the Middle East, but the majority are Turkish. They aim to create a Kurdish homeland.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDYwMzgxODUyMDE2MzQ1Nzg1MTRlNTA2Yg000))
