VOA常速英语2007年-Turkish Soldiers Continue to Deploy at Iraqi Bo

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
19 November 2007

Turkey is still massing tens of thousands soldiers on the Iraqi border, a response to a series of attacks by Kurdish militants¹ that have claimed the lives of more than 50 soldiers and civilians². Rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK, many based in northern Iraq, have been fighting Turkey for autonomy for more than 20 years. But as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the expected Turkish military incursion is not just about the PKK.

Turkish tanks continue to move toward the Iraqi border, joining an estimated 100,000 soldiers backed by helicopter gun ships and fighter jets.

This has been Turkey's largest military build up since 1997 when 200,000 soldiers were involved in an operation against PKK bases in Iraq.

But the effectiveness of such cross border operations remains³ in doubt. Despite numerous incursions into the mountainous border region over the past 20 years, former Turkish generals and analysts⁴ say the operations have had only limited success.

International relations expert Soli Ozel at Bilgi University in Istanbul says any military operation will have wider objectives than just fighting the PKK.

"PKK is only one aspect of it, the other aspect of it is the nature of the Kurdish entity⁵ in northern Iraq and the defiance⁶ of Barzani, and most importantly the issue of Kirkuk," Ozel said.

Masoud Barzani is president of the semi-autonomous⁷ Kurdistan region in Iraq, where many PKK bases are located. Ankara has repeatedly accused Barzani of giving indirect if not direct support to the separatists, as part of an alleged⁸ strategy of using the PKK to further his goal of creating an independent Kurdish state, which Turkey opposes.

Barzani strongly denies the charges. But key to the creation of a Kurdish state would be control of the oil rich Iraqi city of Kirkuk, according to retired⁹ general Armagan Kuloglu, now head of a Turkish research institute.

"If Kirkuk is involved to this place, this state will gain an extra and huge economic power. And the aim of the Kurdish people, to create a greater Kurdistan," Kuloglu said. "And a greater Kurdistan territory covers some Turkish territory, some Iran territory and some Syrian territory."

According to Iraq's constitution, Kirkuk must hold a referendum by December to decide whether the city will join the semi autonomous Kurdistan region. Most analysts predict the vote will be in favor given the city's large Kurdish population. But Ankara has been lobbying for the referendum to be indefinitely postponed¹⁰. Turkey wants special status for Kirkuk so that the city's ethnic¹¹ Turkish population is protected.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a meeting earlier this month with President Bush, again pressed the issue.

Barzani claims the city as the Kurds' historical capital and earlier this year warned of serious consequences if Ankara interferes¹³.

He said Turkey must not intervene in the Kirkuk issue, and if it does, the Kurds will interfere¹² in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the mostly Kurdish area of southeastern Turkey.

Such threats, according to analysts, have fueled Turkish nationalism, with anti-PKK demonstrations¹⁴ like this one occurring almost daily. Analysts say the widespread anger at Iraqi Kurds is forcing the government into an uncompromising stance, despite calls for restraint from the U.S.

Soli Ozel says Iraqi Kurdish leaders must tone down their words and their actions, and Turkey should reciprocate¹⁵.

"Still, their best chance is to have good relations with Turkey, which by the way Turkish constructors are building northern Iraq for them," Ozel said. "And that requires that Barzani take a more conciliatory position vis-a-vis Turkey. That would also necessitate¹⁶ a reciprocation¹⁷ on the part of Turkey, basically accepting that there is a either a federative (federal) state or independence."

With Turkish troops massed on the Iraqi border, talk of compromise and a diplomatic solution seems unrealistic for now. Observers say defusing regional tensions will involve not only dealing¹⁸ with the PKK, but resolving the far deeper question about the direction of Kurdish nationalism and, in particular, the fate of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

6 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

7 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

9 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

10 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

11 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

12 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

13 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

14 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

15 reciprocate   

v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答

参考例句：

• Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情，她也没有使他丧失信心。
• Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。

16 necessitate   

v.使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Your proposal would necessitate changing our plans.你的提议可能使我们的计划必须变更。
• The conversion will necessitate the complete rebuilding of the interior.转变就必需完善内部重建。

17 reciprocation   

n.互换

参考例句：

• Reciprocation of self-inflation of governmental organization and officer's standard value orientation. 政府组织的自我膨胀和官本位价值取向的交互作用。 来自互联网
• The reciprocation lies in the ownership and professional systems. 组织的所有制和行业性质存在交互作用。 来自互联网

18 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。