The United States urged Monday Turkey to show restraint after the Turkish government sought authorization from its parliament for cross-border military action against the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.
"We all have an interest in a stable Iraq and a desire to see the PKK brought to justice," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
"But we urge the Turks to continue their discussions with us and the Iraqis, and to show restraint from any potentially destabilizing actions," Johndroe said.
Turkey's cabinet asked parliament on Monday for permission to launch cross-border military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul has vowed to take all necessary measures against the Kurdish rebels, including a possible incursion into northern Iraq after a total of 13 Turkish soldiers were killed on Oct. 7.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, launched an armed campaign for an ethnic homeland in the mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking decades of strife that has claimed more than 30,000 lives.
Source:Xinhua
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