Turkey invades Iraq

Turkey has launched a ground operation into Iraq. The operation is being carried out with U.S. and Iraqi approval with Turkey sending in as many as 10,000 soldiers. It seems they've decided to invade before spring in order to prevent the PKK from attacking in the spring.

The reaction of the Kurds in this matters is crucial:

Jabbar Yawar, a spokesman for Iraqi Kurdish security forces, said sporadic bombing was taking place in the border areas, but no casualties were reported.

Fouad Hussein, a spokesman for the semiautonomous Kurdish government in Iraq, said the Kurdish Peshmerga forces had been put on alert.

He said Iraqi Kurdish forces also had tightened security around bases housing Turkish military monitors operating in northern Iraq with permission from local authorities under a 1996 agreement.

"The government of Kurdistan ordered the Peshmerga forces to be on alert in fear of any Turkish incursion on Iraqi territory," he said, claiming that Turkish military monitors had tried to leave their bases in violation of the accord.

"Those troops tried to move out, but the Peshmerga forces forced them to return to their camps within half an hour," he said.

If Turkish troops come into conflict with Kurdish peshmerga it's likely to expand the situation to include a full-on conflict between Turkeys and the Kurdish government. However there are reports saying Barzani has ordered Kurds not to engage Turkish troops. Whether that will stand only time will tell.