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Turkish military sends anti-referendum message with exercises across border

Ankara is trying to tell its neighbors something with its massive military exercise across the border from Iraqi Kurdistan as the Kurdish Regional Government's independence referendum nears.
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Showcasing large weapons across the street from your neighbor’s driveway is a sure way to get their attention. Turkey did just that with a military exercise across the Habur border crossing with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq.

According to Turkey’s state-owned news agency Anadolu, the Turkish Armed Forces launched exercises Sept. 18 outside the town of Silopi, which sits less than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the intersection of Turkey’s borders with Syria and Iraq. Turkish and international news outlets reported that approximately 100 tanks, armored personnel carriers and self-propelled artilleries are participating in the drill. The timing and venue of the exercises leave little doubt that Ankara is displeased with the Sept. 25 independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan.

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