Turkish government says it would back military in any offensive in northern Iraq

Above: PKK fighters near Iraq's border with Turkey.

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey's government has said it would back the military if the generals seek to stage an incursion into northern Iraq to fight Kurdish rebels.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made his remarks in an interview Wednesday night, hours after authorities said a suicide bomb attack on Tuesday that killed six people and wounded dozens of others resembled the methods of Kurdish guerrillas.

"We would do whatever is necessary for the peace and happiness of our country. It is out of the question for us to fall into a disagreement with our security forces, soldiers, on this issue," Erdogan told private ATV television. He was responding to a question about what his government would do if the military sought permission to stage a crossborder attack.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

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