Yuksekova, Turkey - The 100,000 Turkish troops massing near the border with Iraq is a palpable presence here in the predominantly Kurdish towns of southeastern Turkey.
Heard above the shouts of children playing on the streets in this small city of Yuksekova are the thump-thump of military helicopters shuttling troops and supplies. Periodically, armored vehicles merge with the honking cars and trucks.
On Sunday, Turkish soldiers killed 20 Kurdish guerrillas in a major military operation against separatist rebels about 400 miles northwest of here, Army sources told Reuters.
Residents in Yuksekova are sympathetic to the rebel aims of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) but are tired of the fighting. They worry that recent political gains will be lost. In the July parliamentary election, most voters here put their weight behind a mainstream political party – the ruling Law and Justice Party (AKP). In recent years, the PKK has been losing clout, but some analysts worry the current march toward war could revive local support for the rebels.
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