| Operation Northern Iraq Turkish: Kuzey Irak Harekâtı |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Turkey-PKK conflict | |||||||
|
|||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Turkey |
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Doğan Güreş Nawshirwan Mustafa |
Osman Öcalan[1] | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 20,000[2] | 8,000 (estimated)[3] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 28 killed, 125 wounded, 2 captured (Turkish claim) | 1,551 killed[4] 2,700 injured[3] |
||||||
|
|||||
Operation Northern Iraq (Turkish: Kuzey Irak Harekâtı) was a cross-border operation by the Turkish Armed Forces into North of Iraq between 5 October and 15 November 1992 against the Kurdistan Workers Party which is listed as a terrorist organization internationally by a number of states and organizations, including the USA, NATO and the EU.[5] More than 37,000 people have been killed in the Turkish-PKK conflict since 1984.[6]
Contents |
On April 8, 1992, Iraqi Kurdish leaders agreed to stop the PKK's raids into Turkey, fromout their territory, in an attempt to create good relations with Turkey.[7][3] In response, the PKK cut supply roots from Turkey to Iraqi Kurdistan on July 31.[7][3] To re-open the supply roots, Peshmerga loyal to the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (Iraqi Kurdistan's ruling parties), started an offensive on October 4 to drive the PKK from Northern Iraq.[3][7]
On August 6, the Turkish Air Force launched air raids to support Iraqi Kurdish forces in their offensive against the PKK. After the air raids, Turkey launched an operation against the PKK, using 20,000 ground troops, backed by tanks, helicopters and aircraft. It was estimated the PKK had over 8,000 fighters in the region. Turkey claimed to have killed and captured nearly 3 thousand PKK fighters and wounded 2,700 by November 5, with over 1,000 surrendering to Iraqi Kurdish forces, a number which rose to 1,400 by 12 November. In mid-November Turkish forces started to withdraw after claiming to have reduced the PKK's fighting force to a mere 2,500. The PKK acknowledged only 150 casualties.[7][3]
On November 17, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the PKK reached a truce accord under which the PKK would re-open all routes to Turkey and release 2 captured Turkish soldiers.[3]
Turkey announced fatalities at a total of 28 personnel made out of 1 commissioned officer, 3 noncommissioned officers, 22 soldiers and 2 village guards. Turkey announced the injured at a total of 125 personnel made out of 12 commissioned officers 16 noncommissioned officers, 93 soldiers, and 4 village guards. Turkey announced the total number of militants neutralized at a total of 2,783 with 1,551 being killed and 1,232 being captured.[4]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||