Turkey launches first air strikes on PKK in Iraq since coup

TIL Desk/World/Istanbul-The Turkish armed forces have carried out their first air strikes against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq since last week’s coup attempt, killing 20 fighters. F-16 fighter jets late yesterday hit targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq.

Former Turkish air force chief General Akin Ozturk, 25 other ex-generals and many soldiers have been arrested, suspected of planning last Friday’s coup, in which rebel troops used jets and tanks to try to overthrow the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Today marks the first anniversary of the resumption of fighting between Turkish security forces and the PKK after a largely successful two-and-a-half year truce.  The ceasefire had sparked hopes of a final peace deal to end Turkey’s three-decade conflict with the PKK.