Turkish government and military agree on Iraq incursion plans

Turkey's government and military have agreed on detailed plans for a cross-border operation against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq, the foreign minister said on July 6. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul urged the United States and Iraq, which oppose a Turkish military move into Iraq, to crack down on rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. But he said Turkey was ready to stage an offensive if necessary. "We have decided how to act, everything is clear," Gul told private NTV television. "We know what to do and when to do it," he said without providing details. Turkey has long complained of US inaction against separatist rebels, who have escalated attacks in Turkey in recent months. Last week, Turkey's military chief asked the government to set political guidelines for an incursion into northern Iraq. Asked whether the government would discuss a possible cross-border offensive during a Cabinet meeting next week, Gul said: "Everything can happen in one day." Turkish political leaders have said Parliament must approve any major incursion. Such a move could strain ties with Washington, which is trying to deal with violence elsewhere in Iraq and wants to preserve the north as one of the country's few relatively calm areas. Turkey has been battling separatist Kurdish rebels since 1984 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. There has been a recent surge in rebel attacks, and 67 soldiers have been killed so far this year. More than 110 rebels were killed in the same period, according to the Turkish military. Ahead of parliamentary elections on July 22, opposition parties have criticized the government as being too soft on terrorism because of a perceived reluctance to approve a military incursion.