Turkish General Staff said Tuesday that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has taken all necessary measures on its borders with Iraq and Iran to prevent infiltration of members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party ( PKK).

"Intelligence units informed the TSK that the terrorist organization PKK and its supporters would intensify their efforts to give rise to acts of terrorism in 2006 in order to create an atmosphere of turmoil in Turkey," the General Staff said at a press briefing held at its headquarters in Ankara.

In order to prevent PKK infiltration, the TSK has reinforced its troops in border regions within the context of its security operations and those reinforcements were necessary and normal activities, the General Staff said.

"The TSK carries out all its activities under its authorities and responsibilities determined by laws," the General Staff added.

Last week, Ankara has denied claims from Baghdad that Turkish military had entered northern Iraq in pursuit of PKK members, saying that troop movements inside Turkey were routine deployments that occurred every year as the PKK became more active in the spring.

More than 30,000 people have been killed since the PKK launched an armed campaign against Turkish government for an independent state in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeastern region in 1984.

Upon a question about presence of TSK troops in northern Iraq for more than a decade, Gen. Bekir Kalyoncu, chairman of General Staff Department of Operations, said, "presence of the TSK in the northern part of Iraq is not a secret. TSK's presence aims to prevent the terrorist organization from taking shelter in the region due to lack of authority in northern Iraq."

"We are not planning to end activities of TSK troops in northern Iraq as long as presence of the terrorist organization in the region continues," said Kalyoncu.

"Also, our troops in northern Iraq make important contributions to preserve stability in the region. Since Iraqi authorities are aware of this, we have not faced serious problems," Kalyoncu said.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Turkey has repeatedly called on the United States to stop members of the PKK in northern Iraq. However, Washington preferred a trilateral mechanism involving Turkey, Iraq and the United States to deal with the PKK problem.

Source: Xinhua