Cross-border crisis over Kurdish rebels easing, Iraqi President says

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani ruled out a Turkish "invasion" of his country and said the cross-border crisis over Kurdish rebels was easing.



"Iraq is actively seeking cooperation with Turkey to fight terrorism and will not allow any more Kurdish separatist military activity from its soil," he told reporters at the League's headquarters in Cairo. "Iraq is against all violent operations against Turkey. We are exerting all our efforts to stop the terrorism threat, which imperils both Turkey and Iraq… The November 5 Erdogan-Bush meeting helped to alleviate tensions," he said, the Turkish Daily News reports.



The Iraqi leader's statement came as Turkish troops are poised for a possible cross-border offensive against militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) hiding in northern Iraq. A series of hit-and-run attacks in Turkey by the PKK has left nearly 50 dead, primarily soldiers, since late September. The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.