New Kurd sanctions coming from Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Turkey’s parliament Thursday approved economic sanctions aimed at tightening the screws on Kurdish separatists.

The likely moves include tighter controls on border crossings and reduced electricity exports to northern Iraq, an area where Kurdish rebels are based.

A report from Alsumaria television in Iraq said increased scrutiny by Turkish border guards had already slowed the flow of commerce into Iraq and said residents of the region fear the border will be closed for all practical purposes.

Turkish Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said the coming sanctions were aimed at direct supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the PKK. The PKK, which has been trying to establish a Kurdistan state in parts of Iraq and Turkey, has stepped up its raids into Turkey in recent months, killing dozens.