Turkey's army chief renews call to crush Kurd rebels in Iraq

Ankara: The head of Turkey's powerful armed forces reaffirmed yesterday his view that a cross-border operation into northern Iraq to crush Kurdish rebels based there was needed.

"I have said [in April] that we need a cross-border operation and that this would bring benefits. I repeat the view now," General Yasar Buyukanit told a news conference shown live on Turkish television.

But he stressed the need to act within the law in tackling the security threat. Turkey's parliament, now in recess ahead of July elections, would have to reconvene to authorise any cross-border military operation.

"We have to conduct our fight on a legal basis. We cannot go beyond the laws," he said in Isparta, southwest Turkey.

More than 30,000 people have been killed in fighting between security forces and rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) since the group launched its armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey in 1984.

Casualties have risen sharply in recent months as PKK fighters hiding in northern Iraq cross the mountainous border into Turkey to attack security and civilian targets.

Reiterating call

Buyukanit repeated his accusation that PKK rebels were receiving support from some foreign countries, including nominal allies of Nato-member Turkey. He did not name the countries, but Ankara has criticised the United States for failing to crack down on PKK in Iraq.

Turkey has also accused some European countries, including Belgium and Denmark, of providing help to the militants.