Saturday, March 10, 2007

Turkish general says can hit Kurd rebels in Iraq

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, March 10 (Reuters) - A top Turkish general on Saturday reaffirmed Ankara's right under international law to send troops into northern Iraq to crush Turkish Kurdish rebels hiding there if it saw fit.

The comments by General Ilker Basbug, head of Turkey's land forces, came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urged all neighbouring countries, including Turkey, attending a conference in Baghdad to settle their regional disputes through dialogue.

"Turkey can always take measures against the terrorist organisation in northern Iraq if our military needs require it ... under international law," Basbug told reporters in Diyarbakir, largest city in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.

His hints at military action were not new but their timing reflects Turkish military fears of an upswing in violence by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) as spring arrives.

Basbug said he believed up to 3,800 PKK rebels were hiding in northern Iraq, mostly in the mountainous areas bordering Turkey. When the snows melt, many cross into Turkey every year to stage attacks on both military and civilian targets.

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