Turkish soldiers killed by rebels

Last Modified: 21 Oct 2007
By: Lucy Manning

Kurdish rebels have killed 17 Turkish soldiers, and wounded 16 others in an ambush, sparking protests in Ankara.

The attack has prompted Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to call crisis talks to consider a military strike against rebel bases in Iraq.

It is the worst atttack in more than a decade by rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and comes four days after Turkey's parliament overwhelmingly approved a motion to allow troops to enter northern Iraq to fight guerrillas hiding there.

Mr Erdogan said: "We are very angry. Our parliament has granted us the authority to act and within this framework we will do whatever has to be done."

Senior military and government officials began the crisis talks at the presidential palace in Ankara under President Abdullah Gul to plot Turkey's response.

After talks with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul was asked if there will be a military response.

He said: "Not urgently. They (Turkish troops) are planning a cross-border (incursion). We'd like to do these things with the Americans."

The United States, Turkey's NATO ally, and Iraq have urged Ankara to refrain from military action, fearing this could destabilise the most peaceful part of Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein.

Mr Gates said he did not believe Ankara would launch a major cross-border operation imminently. He also said Gonul implied there was reluctance to act unilaterally against the PKK.