Turkish soldiers killed in clashes with PKK rebels

Ankara: Fifteen Turkish soldiers have been killed in clashes with Kurdish PKK separatist rebels in southeast Turkey, the Turkish army said on Saturday.

The clashes occurred on Friday evening, the military said. Turkish media said at least 23 members of the PKK were killed in the Semdinli region bordering Iraq and Iran.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Metin Gurak said in a statement that Friday's fighting involved a rebel attack on a military outpost in southeastern Turkey. Turkish
warplanes, helicopters and artillery units also pounded insurgent positions in northern Iraq.

Gurak said on Saturday that most of the 15 Turkish fatalities on Friday occurred at the outpost and were the result of heavy rebel fire from northern Iraq.

Gurak said Turkish forces killed at least 23 Kurdish rebels, but that more may have died during the artillery and air force attacks in northern Iraq.

Two soldiers are missing, Gurak said.

Turkey on Saturday vowed a strong response to the clashes near the Iraqi border.

President Abdullah Gul cancelled a planned visit to France to deal with what he described as a "treacherous" attack and said Ankara was determined to crush the rebels.