Baghdad, Iraq, Nov 5, 2007 / 09:23 am
Chaldean Catholic Bishop Mer Patros said this week a possible incursion into the northern Iraq by Turkish forces in to order to combat Kurdish militias would affect Iraqi Christians the most.
Turkey has amassed troops on its border with Iraq in the region of Kurdistan and has launched sporadic attacks on Kurdish separatists who operate in Turkey but seek refuge among the population of northern Iraq.
Pope Benedict added his voice to those who are concerned about the situation. Following the praying of the Angelus yesterday, the pontiff said, "I would like to encourage every effort to reach a peaceful resolution to the problems that have recently surfaced between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds."
According to Bishop Patros, whose see is in Dohuk, Iraqi Christians, have been reduced in recent years to half of what they once were. These Christians “fear a Turkish attack in Kurdistan more than anyone because they have no where to go after having been exiled once, twice and even three times to escape the violence.”