99 Border Control: Turkish Soldiers on Iraq Border
Turkish soldiers trying to stem the flow of Kurdish refugees from Iraq.
Although reluctant to permanently admit stateless refugees, Turkish President Tugrut Ozal consented to provide limited assistance to dislocated Iraqi civilians fleeing northern Iraq in April, 1991; after Saddam Hussein's forces retaliated against the Kurdish rebels trying to take advantage of the Iraqi regime's failing grip on power in the aftermath of Desert Storm.
Turkey was soon swamped by the fleeing refugees and both sides of the border were crowded with starving people who overwhelmed Turkey's capacity to assist them.
With a humanitarian crisis on his hands, President Ozal approved a United Nations plan to move the refugees back into northern Iraq.
As relief supplies flowed in through Silopi and drop-zones were created to aid the international effort during Operation Provide Comfort, Turkish security forces were required to maintain order and provide medical care in the temporary mountain camps.
