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Iraq Kurds condemn Turkey threat | Iraq Kurds condemn Turkey threat |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Kurds in Iraq have protested against the Turkish parliament's decision to allow military action against Kurdish rebels across the border. | |
Thousands of protesters marched in the northern Iraqi cities of Irbil and Dahuk to express opposition to any attack by Turkish forces. | |
The Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq called on Turkey to avoid confrontation and called for talks. | |
An Iraqi delegation has been dispatched to Turkey to discuss the issue. | An Iraqi delegation has been dispatched to Turkey to discuss the issue. |
The recent deaths of 13 Turkish soldiers in an ambush blamed on PKK separatists has put the Ankara government under renewed pressure to respond with force. | |
Call for dialogue | |
But in Irbil, thousands of people carried banners denouncing possible cross-border raids by Turkey. | |
Some of the banners read: "We will resist the Turkish" and "We are in the world of dialogue, not war". | |
PKK fighters have launched attacks on Turkish territory from Iraq | |
In Dahuk, about 1,500 protesters also held a rally. "We want Turkey to realise that we want to live in peace," one student told Reuters news agency. | |
The Kurdish regional government urged Turkey not to launch any attack on PKK rebels. | |
"We do not want any confrontation with Turkey." it said in a statement. | |
It added: "We will not allow our land to be used as a base to launch attacks against our neighbour." | |
Turkey's parliament voted on Wednesday to allow military action across the border, in response to attacks on Turkish armed forces and civilians. | |
The United States, Nato and the European Union have joined Iraq in urging Turkey to exercise restraint. | The United States, Nato and the European Union have joined Iraq in urging Turkey to exercise restraint. |