After Libya, Turkey plans military bases in northern Iraq

ANKARA - Turkey plans to set up more "temporary" military bases in northern Iraq after stepping up its strikes against militants the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) there, a senior Turkish official said, arguing the effort would ensure border security.

In recent days, Turkish sources have talked about Turkish plans to set up bases in Libya.

Ankara launched two separate operations in northern Iraq against the PKK on Sunday and Tuesday, in response to what it said was an increase in militant attacks on Turkish army bases along the border between the countries.

On Thursday, the Defence Ministry said Turkish forces struck more than 500 PKK targets with F-16 jets, drones, and howitzers as part of the “Claw-Tiger Operation” in the Haftanin region.

The senior Turkish official, who requested anonymity, said Ankara began the operations after talks with Iraqi authorities to rid its border of militants and to target the PKK’s forces, routes and logistic capabilities.

“The plan is to establish temporary base areas (to) prevent the cleared regions from being used for the same purpose again. There are already more than 10 temporary bases there. New ones will be established,” the official said.

Turkey regularly attacks PKK militants, both in its mainly Kurdish southeast and in northern Iraq, where the group is based. It has also warned in recent years of a potential ground offensive against PKK bases in Iraq’s Qandil Mountains.

Turkish military manoeuvres are causing concerns in Baghdad over the real objectives of Ankara and Turkey’s ongoing violation of Iraqi territorial integrity.

Turkey’s ambassador to Baghdad, Fatih Yildiz, said on Twitter on Tuesday that he had been summoned by the Iraqi foreign ministry over the Turkish operation.

Iraq even summoned Iran’s envoy in response to cross-border shelling of Kurdish areas of northern Iraq.

But the senior Turkish official said that Ankara’s push would continue.

 “There is no such thing as a duration for the operation. The operation will continue for as long as necessary until it reaches its objective,” he said.

The operation, however, could spill out of control after reports about the first known civilian victim of Ankara’s air and ground assault on the region, a Kurdish shepherd killed early Thursday, according to a local official.

The official from Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region Ihsan Chalabi said the shepherd was killed when Turkish air strikes hit the Bradost district.

In recent days, Ankara has expressed intent to establish military bases in Libya.

Media reports have mentioned the naval base in Misrata and the al-Watiya air base as being part of Turkey's plans for its foothold in Libya.

"Turkey using al-Watiya ... is on the agenda," a Turkish source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Reuters news agency. "It could also be possible for the Misrata naval base to be used by Turkey," added the source.