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LONDON, July 28 (AFP) - 3h42 - Turkey's Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened
to take action against Kurdish rebels in northern
Iraq unless US-led forces intervene to stop them
from crossing the border.
Speaking in an interview published in The Times
newspaper, the 51-year-old leader said Turkey was
committed to fighting terrorism, but also expected
help from its allies in a struggle against fighters
from the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which has some
3,000 militants based in northern Iraq.
"Turkey has sent troops to Afghanistan to fight
against terrorism," said Erdogan, speaking during a
trip to London on Wednesday to meet British Prime
Minister Tony Blair.
"We are a country ready to take an active part in
the fight against terrorism," he said.
Turning to problems at home, Erdogan indicated that
his patience was wearing thin as Kurdish rebels
infiltrate the border between Turkey and Iraq.
The PKK, which wants a breakaway Kurdish state, is
accused of a wave of recent bombings in Turkey
including a bomb attack in the popular seaside
resort of Kusadasi earlier this month which killed
five people.
"At the moment, frankly speaking, we do not see the
efforts by the US that we expect to see. We have
expressed our views to that effect to the
Americans," Erdogan said. "There is a time limit.
There is a limit to our tolerance."
The PKK is branded a terrorist organization by the
United States and the European Union, while
Washington has also pledged to monitor its
operations more intensely, but the Turkish premier
said he wanted more action.
US-led forces, however, have only a very slim
presence in the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq as
they concentrate on fighting an intense insurgency
closer to Baghdad.
In addition, the Iraqi government -- which has
several Kurds in senior posts -- has warned Turkey
against sending its forces across the border, The
Times said, while noting that Erdogan insisted his
country was within its rights under international
law to defend itself from attack.
Drawing a comparison with US action against
Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, he said,
"That mandate is provided for in international law.
"If a country, if a people, if a nation are under
threat, that country can do what is necessary under
international law. I do not need to name any
countries by name, but we would exercise that right
in the same way as any other country could, would
and did exercise that right."
AFP
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