Thirty years ago today, March 20, 1995 (February 20, 1995 in the lunar calendar), Turkish troops cleared the Kurdish army in northern Iraq. On March 20, 1995, 35000 elite Turkish soldiers, backed by aircraft and tanks, advanced into northern Iraq territory in three directions, aiming to clear Kurdish Workers 'Party guerrilla positions and eradicate terrorist activities. Within days, the Turkish army captured some of the main bases and arsenals of the Kurdish armed forces. The international community reacted mixed to the move. The United States stated that the Turkish actions were "necessary and appropriate self-defense" and did not violate international law; Russia expressed understanding; Iraq protested three days after the invasion: the EU demanded that Turkey withdraw from northern Iraq as soon as possible. The Turkish President declared that only by completely eliminating the Ku army would he return home. However, at the request of Iraq, Britain and the United States, the Turkish government announced on April 8 that it had decided to partially withdraw its troops in northern Iraq.