ANKARAK — Turkish Hurriyet Daily News reported that the United States, which controls Iraq’s airspace, has significantly bolstered its cooperation with the Turkish military.
“The United States is preparing to withdraw from Iraq, and does not want to leave behind a major conflict in the area related to Turkey’s security,” the Hurriyet Daily News reported.
“As a result, the Americans are increasingly willing to increase cooperation with Turkey against the PKK,” the report added, referring to Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
According to the report the U.S. and Turkish militaries have been sharing intelligence about the PKK since November 2007, when President George W. Bush agreed to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s request in the wake of the escalation of clashes between the Turkish Army and the Kurdish resistance movement in Northern Kurdistan.
The report claimed that stronger U.S. support for Turkey’s fight against the PKK has been reflected in the increasing Turkish access to Iraqi airspace, an agreement to transfer attack helicopters and the ramping up of intelligence sharing.
The report also claimed that; “the U.S. is now allowing Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, to fly into the airspace on the Iraqi side of the border in order to gather information about the PKK’s movement inside Iraq. The Turkish military operates at least four Heron drones obtained from Israel earlier this year and is expected to acquire four more of the vehicles, which are used for reconnaissance and target acquisition, later this summer”.
“A U.S. Predator unmanned aerial vehicle is meanwhile conducting reconnaissance missions in the Qendil Mountains, which the PKK leaders have been using as a safe haven, and conveying the electronic information it gathers to the Turkish military. Using the intelligence from the Turkish and the U.S. drones, the Turkish fighter aircraft and artillery occasionally strike the PKK targets on the Iraqi side of the border,” the reported added.
New attack helicopters from US
According to the report the United States has finally agreed to Turkey’s request to add to its fleet of six AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters, which Turkey had formally requested in early 2009. After hesitating for nearly 18 months, the U.S. in recent weeks has agreed to transfer two choppers to the Turkish military in light of the intensifying PKK attacks.
“The first of the two helicopters is expected to be ready for Turkish military use in early 2011, with the second to follow shortly thereafter. Small units of Turkish Special Forces and intelligence officers are meanwhile operating just over the Iraqi side of the border, conducting anti-PKK missions with the consent of the United States,” the report concluded.