VOA常速英语2008年-Pressure Increases on Turkey to End Iraq Incurs

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
27 February 2008

Turkey is continuing to send its forces into northern Iraq, in an operation against Kurdish rebels.  The Turkish armed forces said it killed 77 rebels Tuesday and lost five soldiers.  Since the incursion began last Thursday, Ankara claims 230 rebels have been killed, a number the rebels dispute. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul the United States is seen as playing a role in the operation.

As Turkish jets return from a sortie in northern Iraq, scores of helicopters are ferrying Turkish soldiers deep into the mountainous, semi-autonomous, Kurdish-controlled Iraqi enclave to attack bases of the Kurdistan Workers Party.  Ankara says the rebels (known as the PKK) are using the bases to attack Turkey.

The rebels have been fighting for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast since 1984.

Retired¹ General Haldun Solmazturk fought the rebels for eight years and was part of the last Turkish incursion into Iraq in 1997.
 
"The region we are talking about is mountainous and in wintertime they have the ability to ambush² Turkish units, presumably well-prepared, well-armed, well-equipped," he said.  "So you need to have reliable intelligence.  Now, we understand, being provided by Americans."

But intelligence is not the only assistance Turkey wants from the United States.  Ankara views Washington's powerful diplomatic muscle as just as important to Turkey's incursion.

According to Turkish analyst³ Armagan Kuloglu, containing criticism of the operation, especially from Kurdish leaders in the semi-autonomous enclave, is especially important to Ankara.

"I think the United States will convince the northern Iraq administration about this issue, because they know that it is very difficult to live in this area without the United States support," he noted⁴.

The first few days of the operation saw little outright⁵ condemnation⁶ from Baghdad, other than expressions of concern for civilian⁷ casualties.  Several analysts⁸ say that is in part due to U.S. pressure.

But criticism is growing.  On Tuesday, Baghdad called for an immediate⁹ end to the operation, saying it is infringing¹⁰ on its territorial¹¹ integrity.  To help contain criticism, Ankara dispatched its chief foreign policy adviser¹², Ahmet Davutoglu, to Baghdad. 

But Davutoglu refused to specify¹³ a timetable for withdrawal¹⁴.

"There is no timetable, until the terrorist bases are eliminated," he said.  "[The bases] cannot be tolerated, neither by the Iraqi government nor by us nor by the international community."

But Washington's apparent impatience¹⁵ over the incursion is important to Ankara.  While the United States is supporting the operation, it does not want to alienate¹⁶ the Iraqi Kurds, another important ally. 

U.S. Secretary of Defense¹⁷ Robert Gates earlier this week made clear what Washington expects from Turkey.
 
"This operation should be very short and should be very precisely¹⁸ targeted, and then the Turks should withdraw back across the border," he said.

Gates is expected to deliver that message to the Turkish government during talks Thursday in Ankara.  While Turkey will be reluctant to be seen as following U.S. orders, it is considered unlikely that Ankara would risk being internationally isolated¹⁹.

With the Turkish military claiming to have hit more than 400 PKK targets in Iraq, General Solmazturk says the operation's objective, of dealing²⁰ a blow to the PKK, may be close to being achieved.

"Fatal would be too much to describe the potential effect," he said.  "But it would be a major blow.  Because in any conflict you do not fight the people, you fight the minds and wills of the people.  Such an operation will be a major blow on the will of the people."

With international pressure growing, in particular, from one of its most important allies, time could well be running out for the Turkish operation. Its success may well be judged in the coming months by whether the PKK is able to launch its traditional spring offensive against Turkey.

1 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。

2 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

6 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

7 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

8 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。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 infringing   

v.违反（规章等）( infringe的现在分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等）

参考例句：

• The material can be copied without infringing copyright. 这份材料可以复制，不会侵犯版权。
• The media is accused of infringing on people's privacy. 人们指责媒体侵犯了大家的隐私。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

12 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

13 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

14 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

15 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

16 alienate   

vt.使疏远，离间；转让(财产等)

参考例句：

• His attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith.他离间那两个朋友的企图失败了，因为他们彼此完全信任。
• We'd better not alienate ourselves from the colleagues.我们最好还是不要与同事们疏远。

17 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

18 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

19 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

20 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。