. 24/7 Space News .
SUPERPOWERS
Turkish military starts drill near Iraqi border
by Staff Writers
Ankara (AFP) Sept 18, 2017


Turkey launched a military drill with tanks close to the Iraqi border on Monday, the army said, a week before Iraq's Kurdish region is set to hold an independence referendum.

Despite opposition from Turkey, Iran and the United States, the Kurdistan Regional Government's leaders have said they will hold the non-binding independence vote on September 25.

Ankara has previously warned against the poll, saying it could risk "civil war" and will "have a cost" if it goes ahead.

Despite forging strong ties with the KRG in northern Iraq in recent years, Turkey fears the vote could stoke separatist aspirations among its own sizeable Kurdish minority.

Ankara's national security council will meet on September 22 to discuss the country's official position on the referendum, but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said it was a "mistake".

He was speaking before leaving for the United Nations General Assembly, where he is expected to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi -- whose Baghdad government is also fiercely against the KRG's move.

Turkish presidency sources said Abadi and Erdogan agreed during a phone call on Monday that the KRG's "insistence would increase tensions in the region".

And they emphasised the need to protect Iraq's territorial integrity, the sources said.

Jan Kubis, the top UN envoy in Iraq, last week offered international backing for immediate negotiations between the country's federal government and the autonomous region in a bid to get Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani to drop the plans.

The Turkish military exercise began in the Silopi-Habur region in the country's south, close to northern Iraq, the armed forces said.

"Simultaneously with this exercise, counter-terrorism operations in the border region continue," a statement added.

Witnesses in the region said they saw around 100 military vehicles deployed, including tanks, in the early hours of Monday, an AFP correspondent said.

SUPERPOWERS
Juncker says 'wind is back in Europe's sails'
Strasbourg, France (AFP) Sept 13, 2017
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Wednesday that the "wind is back in Europe's sails" as he issued a rallying call a year after the shock of the Brexit vote. In his annual State of the Union speech, Juncker said the bloc had become more united following a series of crises including Britain's vote to leave, and insisted economic momentum was picking up. The former Lux ... read more

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

SUPERPOWERS
Crewed Missions Beyond LEO

Voyager Spacecraft: 40 Years of Solar System Discoveries

Trump names former Navy aviator to head NASA

What's hot and what's not at Berlin's IFA tech fair

SUPERPOWERS
Arianespace announces a new contract, bringing its order book to 53 launches across three rockets

EUMETSAT signs with Arianespace for first Metop-SG satellite launch

MHI to launch first Inmarsat-6 satellite

Proton-M Rocket Launches Spanish Satellite Amazonas-5 Into Orbit

SUPERPOWERS
Discovery of boron on Mars adds to evidence for habitability

Life on Mars: Let's Try Oman Desert First for Space Mission

Citizen scientists spot Martian 'spiders' in unexpected places

Big dishes band together

SUPERPOWERS
Spacecraft passes docking test

China, Russia to Have Smooth Space Cooperation, Says Expert

Kuaizhou-11 to send six satellites into space

Russia, China May Sign 5-Year Agreement on Joint Space Exploration

SUPERPOWERS
India, Japan Set to Boost Space Cooperation

Bids for government funding prove strong interest in LaunchUK

Blue Sky Network Reaffirms Commitment to Brazilian Market

India to Launch Exclusive Satellite for Afghanistan

SUPERPOWERS
Ultrathin spacecraft will collect, deposit orbital debris

192 Indian space objects currently in orbit

Infostellar closes new funding for satellite antenna sharing platform with Airbus Ventures

Two new satellites now operational to expand US space situational awareness

SUPERPOWERS
Could interstellar ice provide the answer to birth of DNA

Climate change for aliens

X-Rays Reveal Temperament of Possible Planet-Hosting Stars

Earth as Hybrid Planet: The Anthropocene Era in Astrobiological Context

SUPERPOWERS
Pluto features given first official names

Jupiter's Auroras Present a Powerful Mystery

New Horizons Files Flight Plan for 2019 Flyby

Juno Scientists Prepare for Seventh Science Pass of Jupiter









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.