Regional forces deny amassing of Turkish troops near Iraqi border

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: An official spokesperson for the Kurdistan region’s protection forces on Sunday denied the presence of Turkish troops near the Iraqi border, explaining that the neighboring country is free to deploy forces within its territory. The statement came in response to a report published by a Turkish electronic newspaper, claiming that a convoy of 70 military vehicles loaded with soldiers and heavy weapons had headed towards the Turkish town on Sirnak near the Iraqi border. “Iraqi forces along the Turkish border have not noticed any deployment of troops,” Jabbar Yawir told IraqiNews.com news agency. Iraqi-Turkish relations have witnessed significant tensions after 13 Turkish servicemen were killed in an ambush laid by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) personnel in early September 2008. Tensions re-escalated after Turkish troops launched a military offensive inside Iraq’s Kurdistan region to pursue PKK fighters in February last. SS (P)/SR 1