Fiercer attacks against rebels in the cards, Turk leader says

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's prime minister said Tuesday that increased military action against separatist Kurdish rebels was "unavoidable" and pressed the United States for a crackdown on guerrilla bases in northern Iraq.

Turkish helicopters pounded rebel positions near the border with rockets for a second day and Turkey trucked in troops in an operation against mountainside emplacements.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told members of his party in the Parliament "it is now unavoidable that Turkey will have to go through a more intensive military process."

He also suggested he was not seeking an immediate cross-border offensive against the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, holed up in bases in northern Iraq. "The responsibility of leadership does not allow for narrow-mindedness, haste or heroism," he said.

"We must remember that Turkey is part of this world and diplomacy has certain requirements," Erdogan added.

Erdogan flies to Washingtonon Monday for talks with President Bush. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is also expected in Turkey later this week.

"We will openly express that we expect urgent steps from the United States, which is our strategic partner and ally and has a special responsibility regarding Iraq," Erdogan said.

The U.S., Iraq and other countries have been calling on Turkey to refrain from a cross-border campaign against one of the few stable areas in Iraq.

White House press secretary Dana Perino said Bush's discussions with Erdogan would include "the fight against terrorism - in particular our joint efforts to counter the PKK."

Turkish Cobra attack helicopters blasted suspected rebel targets in the Mount Cudi area, near the southeastern border with Iraq for a second day, as the Turks tried to hunt down some 100 rebels believed to be hiding in mountainside caves, the privateDogan news agency reported.

The fighting has claimed the lives of three Turkish soldiers and six guerrillas, area news reports said.

Transport helicopters flew incommando units to block possible rebel escape routes on Cudi, Dogan reported.

An AP Television News cameraman said attack helicopters escorted four Black Hawk helicopters on Cudi as they airlifted soldiers to the mountain and picked others up.

Dogan reported a 100-vehicle military convoy traveling from Cizre toward the border.

A Kurdish political party warned that the fighting threatened to increase animosity between the Turkish and Kurdish populations in Turkey.

Turkey is "moving toward a dangerous war in our region which will seriously damage historical relations between Turks and Kurds," Nurettin Demirtas, a senior party official, told reporters.

At least 46 people have been killed by the rebels in Turkey over the past month, according to government and news reports. The deaths included at least 30 Turkish soldiers killed in two ambushes.

Information for this article was contributed from Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, by Yahya Barzanji of The Associated Press.

Front Section, Pages 8 on 10/31/2007

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