Kurdish militants killed 26 Turkish soldiers near the border with Iraq today, officials said, in one of the deadliest attacks since the rebels took up arms against Turkey three decades ago.
Turkish security officials said about 100 fighters from the PKK mounted simultaneous attacks on seven remote army outposts in Cukurca and Yuksekova districts of Hakkari province, on the rugged southeastern border with Iraq.
Turkish commandos crossed into northern Iraq in pursuit of the rebels following the attacks, military sources said. At least 16 soldiers were also wounded in the attacks. The sources said there were sporadic clashes between the troops and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels in the border area, while helicopter gunships overflew the site.
Turkish warplanes, which have launched retaliatory air strikes on Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq after past attacks, took off from a base in the city of Diyarbakir.
Underlying the gravity of the situation, Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan immediately cancelled a visit to Kazakhstan and convened an emergency meeting with the interior and defence ministers, along with intelligence chiefs and top generals.
Kurdish rebels seeking an independent Kurdish homeland took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have died in the conflict. They have bases in northern Iraq from which they cross the border to attack Turkish targets.
The PKK is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
US president Barack Obama condemned the "outrageous” attack. "The United States will continue our strong cooperation with the Turkish government as it works to defeat the terrorist threat from the PKK and to bring peace, stability and prosperity to all the people of southeast Turkey," Mr Obama said in a statement.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton today accused Kurdish separatist rebels of launching "shameful terrorist attacks".
Ms Ashston said the EU was ready to help Ankara deal with the violence. "I was appalled to learn of today's shameful terrorist attacks in Turkey by the PKK. I condemn them in the strongest terms, and deeply regret the loss of life," Ms Ashton said in a statement.
"I stress once again that the EU stands with Turkey in its resolve to fight against terrorism. We should all be clear that nothing justifies such indiscriminate violence," she said. "The PKK remains on the EU's list of terrorist organisations, and the EU has recently stated its readiness to intensify its dialogue with Turkey in combating terror."
Reuters