Dates 12 May 1997 – 7 Jul 1997 | ||
 | ||
30,000–50,000 soldiers
10,000 village guards 5,000–6,000 PKK fighters Turkey
114 killed, 338 wounded
KDP
~200 killed
Total 314 killed PKK
2,730 killed, 415 captured (Turkish claim) Result Decisive Turkish victory (Turkish claim) Similar Operation Murat, 2008 Turkish incursion, May 24 - 1993 PKK ambush, Kurdish–Turkish conflict, Battle of Şırnak | ||
Operation Hammer (Turkish: Çekiç Harekâtı) was a cross-border operation by the Turkish Armed Forces into northern Iraq between 12 May and 7 July 1997 against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Contents
The operations objectives were to destroy PKK units in Northern Iraq, to strengthen Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party in its ongoing Civil War with Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in the hope that the KDP would prevent further PKK raids into Turkey, and to counter Iranian influence in the region as Turkey accused Iran of supporting the PKK, and over 2,000 Iranian forces had entered Iraqi Kurdistan that year to aid the PUK.
The operation ended unsuccessfully and it led to another operation, Operation Dawn (1997).
The conflict
Some 30-50 thousand Turkish forces entered Iraq on 14 May in response to an appeal by the Kurdistan Democratic Party for support in its offensive against the PKK. On 19 May, the KDP launched a military operation to evacuate all PKK fighters from their capital in Arbil, which turned into a major battle in which 53 KDP and 58 PKK fighters were killed. In response the PKK ordered 4 suicide bombings from 1 to 11 June which resulted in the death of 55 KDP fighters By 7 July, when Turkish forces withdrew, over 2,000 PKK and at least 200 KDP forces had been killed.
The operation drew strong condemnation from Iraq, Iran and Syria.
Casualties
More than 30,000 troops took part in the initial operation. Turkey announced fatalities at a total of 114 personnel made out of 14 commissioned officers, four non-commissioned officers, 75 soldiers and 21 village guards. Turkey announced the injured at a total of 185 personnel made out of 24 commissioned officers 17 non-commissioned officers, 338 soldiers and 48 village guards. Turkey announced the total number of militants neutralized at a total of 3,145 with 2,730 being killed and 415 being captured live or injured.
Turkey launched another large-scale operation in September known as Operation Dawn.