Home > Reports On Secret Israeli Activities In Northern Iraq Occupies Turkish Press
Reports On Secret Israeli Activities In Northern Iraq Occupies Turkish Press
by Open-Publishing - Wednesday 23 June 2004The report of US Pulitzer winner journalist Seymour Hersh that the Israeli intelligence service has been collaborating with Iraqi Kurds and has been training Kurdish commandos, dominated headlines of Turkish newspapers on Tuesday.
Turkish papers are stressing Turkey’s uneasiness with the activities of Israeli agents in Northern Iraq. Basing their news on Hersh’s report in the New Yorker magazine, the papers said that Israeli agents have been provoking Kurdish groups to form an independent state in Northern Iraq and cooperating with them to use them against Iran, which is accused of seeking building nuclear program.
Turkish Foreign Minister, Gül had said on Monday that Turkey has been closely following the developments in Northern Iraq. "We can’t allow a fait accompli in Kirkuk. Developments in Iraq that could stir up divisions in the future are very dangerous,"
The leader of the Iraqi Kurdistan Patriotic Union (PUK) Celal Talabani, currently visiting Ankara, yesterday denied reports that Israeli agents are cooperating with Kurds in Northern Iraq against Iran. "We have no hostility toward Iran."
The Sabah daily’s leading headline runs "Israel is playing with fire." Sabah claims that the Israeli intelligence service MOSSAD funneled $500,000 to the Kurdish Peshmerges.
The Hürriyet implied that Israel is carrying out dangerous activities in the region, by saying "Dances with Kurds," Radikal daily columnist, Murat Yetkin said that Turkish intelligence sources submitted a report to the Turkish government that Israeli agents have clandestine activities in Iraq.
Relations between Turkey and Israel have simmered recently following harsh criticism from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan against Israeli policies toward the Palestinian people. Erdogan accused the Israeli government of implementing state terror in Palestine.
In early June, Turkey summoned its ambassadors to Syria and Israel and its Consul General to Jerusalem back to Ankara for consultations.
The Conservative Tercuman daily based Turkey’s recent criticism against the Sharon government on the secret activities of Israeli agents in Northern Iraq. The paper headlined "The mask fell", "Israel shows its real face".
The Yeni Safak Daily, which is published by conservative businessmen, headlined "Israeli baits Iraqi Kurds".
Well-respected Zaman daily said, "Israeli troops roaming Northern Iraq."