• Corpus ID: 34353316

Turkey's Trans-Border Operations in Northern Iraq: Before and after the Invasion of Iraq

@inproceedings{Keskin2008TurkeysTO,
  title={Turkey's Trans-Border Operations in Northern Iraq: Before and after the Invasion of Iraq},
  author={Funda Keskin},
  year={2008}
}

• Funda Keskin
• Published 2008
• Political Science

Northern Iraq provides an area of retreat for the PKK. Turkey carried out trans-border operations into northern Iraq between 1988-1999. Although Iraq applied to the Security Council, this issue never made its way to a Council meeting. Turkey mostly relied on the Resolution 688 and right of self-defence as the legal basis. Since 2003, it is Iraq’s responsibility to stop PKK activities. When it is asked from the US and Iraqi government, both states claim that they are unable to do it due to insecure conditions in Iraq. Turkey persuaded the US for a limited ground operation in 2007, but Turkey would not repeat it without the US’ consent. The argument of self-defence is still the legal basis defended by the Turkish officials although it is debatable whether the right of self-defence include such action in contemporary international law.