Turkey parliament votes to send troops into northern Iraq

Ankara: Turkey's parliament resoundingly approved a motion yesterday allowing troops to cross into northern Iraq to hunt down Kurdish rebels hiding there, brushing aside appeals from the United States and the Baghdad government.

As parliament voted in Ankara by 507 votes to 19 in favour of the motion, US President George W. Bush said it would not be in Turkey's interests to send troops into northern Iraq.

Iraq's government said yesterday it would send a team to Ankara for further talks to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has played down expectations of any imminent attack but the parliamentary vote gives Nato's second biggest army the legal basis to cross the mountainous border as and when it sees fit.

"What matters is what parliament has said," Erdogan told reporters as he left the assembly after the vote.

Bush on genocide row

Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek told parliament any army incursion would target only rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). He said Turkey would also continue to use economic and diplomatic measures in its fight against terrorism.

Bush, however, repeated US concerns. "They [Turkey] have had troops stationed there for quite a while. We don't think it's in their interest to send more troops in," he told a news conference.

In an attempt to defuse US tensions with Turkey on another key issue, Bush urged the Democratic-led Congress to drop a resolution calling the First World War massacre of Armenians in Turkey "genocide".

"One thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire," he said, branding the measure "counterproductive".

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad meanwhile said during an official visit to Ankara he backed Turkey's fight against terrorism.

"We support the decisions the Turkish government has put on its agenda against terrorism and terrorist activities," Bashar told reporters after talks with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul.

"We see this as Turkey's legitimate right," the Syrian leader said.