Jigs
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Fight against terror tops agenda of Turkish security council
Angered at the spread of terrorist activities from the countryside to the cities with Tuesday’s bomb attack in Istanbul, top Turkish civilian and military officials are set to discuss “all options” in the fight against terrorism.
The National Security Council, or MGK, the country’s top security board, will convene Thursday in Istanbul to discuss fundamental measures reportedly including the restructuring of border troops.
Under such a restructuring, the military would deploy specialized sergeants to this risky region instead of sending new recruits. In addition, each contingent in the region would include teams of special forces, which are generally used during or after large-scale military operations. Similar units within the police department are also being considered for deployment to the region. These police forces were used in the mid-1990s, but were withdrawn after they were accused of violating human rights.
In line with the results of Monday’s state summit, the system of intelligence gathering and how this information is coordinated among security institutions will also be reviewed at the MGK meeting. Hakan Fidan, the new head of the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, will brief the council about these efforts.
In the operational dimension, the MGK will review the results of recent cross-border operations into northern Iraq, where the training camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, are located. The military plans to carry out more cross-border operations as needed.
The council will also discuss potential measures to stop the further spread of terrorist activities to urban and tourist areas ahead of the beginning of the tourism season.
Members of the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, attacked a military outpost in the Şemdinli district of Hakkari province on Saturday, killing 11 troops. A bomb attack in Istanbul subsequently killed four soldiers and one teenage civilian Monday.
Talks with Barzani
Discussions at Thursday’s MGK meeting will also address the foreign connections of the PKK and will likely focus on Massoud Barzani, the head of the Regional Kurdish Administration in northern Iraq, who some have accused of doing too little to contain the outlawed group. During his landmark visit to Turley in early June, Barzani refrained from acknowledging the PKK as a terrorist organization but pledged his full support to Turkish officials in their fight against terror.
Though Barzani issued a condemnation of Saturday’s deadly attack, some Turkish officials are still far from being satisfied with his level of support.
Turkish officials are also planning to hold more meetings with the United States to review the countries’ current cooperation on intelligence sharing. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s meeting next week with President Barack Obama is expected to focus on the joint fight against terrorism.
In its meeting, the MGK will likely emphasize the need for societal unity in the fight against terror and call for the participation of all political parties, nongovernmental organizations and the media.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=mgk-to-discuss-all-options-in-anti-pkk-fight-2010-06-23
Angered at the spread of terrorist activities from the countryside to the cities with Tuesday’s bomb attack in Istanbul, top Turkish civilian and military officials are set to discuss “all options” in the fight against terrorism.
The National Security Council, or MGK, the country’s top security board, will convene Thursday in Istanbul to discuss fundamental measures reportedly including the restructuring of border troops.
Under such a restructuring, the military would deploy specialized sergeants to this risky region instead of sending new recruits. In addition, each contingent in the region would include teams of special forces, which are generally used during or after large-scale military operations. Similar units within the police department are also being considered for deployment to the region. These police forces were used in the mid-1990s, but were withdrawn after they were accused of violating human rights.
In line with the results of Monday’s state summit, the system of intelligence gathering and how this information is coordinated among security institutions will also be reviewed at the MGK meeting. Hakan Fidan, the new head of the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, will brief the council about these efforts.
In the operational dimension, the MGK will review the results of recent cross-border operations into northern Iraq, where the training camps of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, are located. The military plans to carry out more cross-border operations as needed.
The council will also discuss potential measures to stop the further spread of terrorist activities to urban and tourist areas ahead of the beginning of the tourism season.
Members of the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, attacked a military outpost in the Şemdinli district of Hakkari province on Saturday, killing 11 troops. A bomb attack in Istanbul subsequently killed four soldiers and one teenage civilian Monday.
Talks with Barzani
Discussions at Thursday’s MGK meeting will also address the foreign connections of the PKK and will likely focus on Massoud Barzani, the head of the Regional Kurdish Administration in northern Iraq, who some have accused of doing too little to contain the outlawed group. During his landmark visit to Turley in early June, Barzani refrained from acknowledging the PKK as a terrorist organization but pledged his full support to Turkish officials in their fight against terror.
Though Barzani issued a condemnation of Saturday’s deadly attack, some Turkish officials are still far from being satisfied with his level of support.
Turkish officials are also planning to hold more meetings with the United States to review the countries’ current cooperation on intelligence sharing. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s meeting next week with President Barack Obama is expected to focus on the joint fight against terrorism.
In its meeting, the MGK will likely emphasize the need for societal unity in the fight against terror and call for the participation of all political parties, nongovernmental organizations and the media.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=mgk-to-discuss-all-options-in-anti-pkk-fight-2010-06-23
