SIRNAK, Turkey — Dozens of Turkish military vehicles loaded with soldiers and heavy weapons rumbled toward the Iraq border on Monday after an ambush by guerrilla Kurds that left eight soldiers missing and killed 12.
Iraq's president said the rebels would announce a cease-fire later in the day. Turkey's government, which has rejected similar announcements in the past, said the country will pursue diplomacy before it sends troops across the rugged frontier.
Turkey's military said it lost contact with the eight soldiers after Sunday's clash and said 34 guerrillas had been killed so far in a counteroffensive. A pro-Kurdish news agency said the eight were captured.
The ambush on Sunday angered an already frustrated Turkish public. Demonstrations broke out across the country and opposition leaders called for an immediate strike against rebel bases in Iraq, despite appeals for restraint from Iraq, the U.S. and European leaders.
In Washington, the State Department said the United States has opened a diplomatic "full court press" to urge Turkey not to invade northern Iraq.
"In our view, there are better ways to deal with this issue," spokesman Sean McCormack said, stressing that the United States regards the Kurdistan Workers' Party as a terrorist organization.
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