Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists on 30 November that the army had been authorised to carry out operations on 28 November.

On 1 December, the General Staff announced on its official website that an operation was carried out on Iraqi soil to the south-east of the Cukura district of Hakkari, and that this represented the first operation since the authorisation.

"Intensive exercise"

In its first statement, the General Staff said that a group of 50-60 PKK militants were attacked with "an intensive exercise using arms close-by in the region". Military experts said that this would mean bombs, tanks and mortar, and most likely also attacks by helicopter.

The statement further said that the PKK militants had sustained "considerable losses".

In a second statement, the General Staff announced that, depending on intelligence, these operations would continue, but that they were only aimed at the PKK: "As long as the people living in the north of Iraq do not act in a hostile manner towards the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), the TAF is not against local groups."

Meanwhile, according to the Kurdish Pukmedia, Cemal Abdullah, spokesperson for the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government has said that Turkish soldiers did not enter Iraqi soil.

International reactions

Today’s “Radikal” newspaper reported on international reactions to the cross-border operation. The USA said that “Turkey has a right to self-defense” and that “we are working towards increasing collaboration against the PKK”.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the problem between Turkey and Iraq to be solved “without creating tension in the area”. (TK/AG)