Another Middle East war erupts Wednesday as 50,000 Turkish troops launch operation against Kurdish PKK bases, several thousand crossing into N. Iraq June 6, 2007, 9:25 PM (GMT+02:00) The official Turkish news agency Cihan reports the force, backed by armored vehicles and combat aircraft, is targeting rebel strongholds in 11 provinces in southeastern Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan Wednesday, June 6. White House officials speaking from the G8 summit in Germany said there was “no new activity” from Turkish troops in northern Iraq. Military HQ in Ankara declined to confirm or deny that Turkish troops had entered Iraq.DEBKAfile’s military sources report that this is only the first wave of Turkish invaders, with more to come. June 2, DEBKAfile reported that the US had removed troops from northern Iraq and passed responsibility for the region’s security to the Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga.