Turkey shuts gateway to Iraqi Kurdistan

Zakho, Iraq Press, Oct. 4 - Turkey has closed its border crossing point with Iraq for both
passengers and cargo.

The closure is a blow to a lucrative oil smuggling business which generated millions of
dollars for Iraq's hard cash-strapped coffers. 

The measure will also hurt the economy of the semi-independent Kurdish enclave where
local authorities relied on transit fees to pay their civil servants.

It is not clear what prompted Ankara to close the crossing on the Khabur river, one of Iraq's
main gateways to the outside world. 

But the closure comes as the United States and allies are poised for massive air and missile
strikes on Afghanistan's Taliban accused of hosting Osama Bin Laden, the prime suspect
behind the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

The measure also comes in the aftermath of reports of heavy clashes involving Kurdish
militias and a newly-formed Islamist faction accused of having links with Osama Bin
Laden's al-Qaeda organization.

No trucks or passengers are now allowed to enter Iraq. The border is only open to Turkish
citizens and vehicles leaving Iraq.

The situation in the Kurdish enclave is tense. Prices of essential commodities have risen
recently and the dinar notes in circulation in the region have weakened against the U.S.
dollar.

There is also an acute fuel shortage following an Iraqi government decision to slash oil
supplies to Iraqi Kurdistan.

U.S. and British warplanes police a no-fly zone over the region to guard it against attacks by
Iraqi armed forces. The zone was set up shortly after the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait.
----------------------------------