Turkey wins Iraq backing on PKK

Turkey has said it will use military means if diplomacy fails

Turkey and Iraq have agreed to work together to deal with the problem of Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Ankara would put the emphasis on diplomatic means to solve the crisis.

Mr Babacan rejected any ceasefire with the PKK, saying this was not possible with a "terrorist organisation".

Turkey is coming under intense pressure from the public and military to use force against the PKK, after its parliament approved cross-border raids.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey had no territorial designs on Iraq but could use military force against the PKK "at any time" if Baghdad failed to act.

"We cannot wait for ever," he said, at a news conference with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London.

Turkey, along with the US and EU, considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation.

In the last week, Turkey has been building up its military presence on the border with Iraq and, on the other side, PKK rebels have stepped up their attacks against Turkish troops in the region.

The rebels claim to have captured several Turkish troops following an attack on Sunday that left 12 soldiers dead. The Turkish military has only confirmed that eight soldiers are still missing.

The funerals of the dead are expected to take place on Tuesday.