Debate on gov’t motion for northern Iraq postponed

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Discussion of a government motion to extend the Turkish military’s authority for cross-border operations against members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) settled in northern Iraq has been postponed to next week after the government on Oct. 4 proposed another cross-border motion for Syria just hours after mortars from the Syrian border killed five civilians on Oct 3. A cross-border motion for northern Iraq was introduced to Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek’s office on Oct. 1 and was set to be debated in the General Assembly yesterday. Parliament authorized cross-border operations into northern Iraq in 2007 and has extended the mandate each year. The motion would authorize the government to determine the scale, scope and timing of military action. The motion is highly likely to be debated on Oct. 12, as the current mandate expires Oct. 17.