Turkey reaffirms army's right to act in Iraq

By Selcuk Gokoluk

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Abdullah Gul reaffirmed on Sunday Turkey's readiness and right to intervene in northern Iraq one day after the Turkish army said it carried out an operation there against Kurdish rebels.

Kurdish officials in Iraq insisted on Sunday that there had been no Turkish military incursion, describing as baseless Ankara's claims that significant losses had been inflicted on Kurdish rebels.

"(The army) was granted a mandate. This mandate is being used when (the army) deems it necessary," Gul told reporters before flying to Pakistan for an official visit.

Turkey said it carried out an "intense intervention" against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels in northern Iraq on Saturday, sending in special forces after the cabinet authorized the army to carry out cross-border operations.

The army said on Sunday that two PKK rebels had been killed in clashes in southeastern Turkey on Saturday. Two more rebels were killed in clashes with army troops in Siirt province on Sunday.

Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek made clear that operations in northern Iraq would continue as the army saw fit.

"The Chief of General Staff decides and will decide the necessity and timing of (the operations). If the goal is met with one operation, then one operation will be done. If 10 operations are needed, then 10 operations will be done," he said in an interview with broadcaster Kanal 24.

A Turkish military official said about 100 special forces troops had crossed into Iraq on Saturday and that long-range artillery and up to six helicopters had bombed a PKK camp after spotting a group of 50-60 rebels 20 km (12 miles) inside the border.