PKK presence in northern Iraq unacceptable

Visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said on Thursday that the presence of the rebels of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in north Iraq is " unacceptable". "The presence of PKK elements in mountainous areas is not legitimate under the Iraqi Constitution," Zebari said at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after their talks in the Turkish capital of Ankara. But the PKK problem could only be resolved through "good neighborly relations" between Turkey and Iraq, he added. For his part, Davutoglu said that Turkey did not have patience for a terrorist act in Iraq which would pose a threat against Turkey, adding that a terrorist structure that nested in Iraq was a threat against territorial integrity of both Turkey and Iraq. Turkey was determined to end this terrorist act, he said. Davutoglu said that if Iraq settled full military control over its soil, it would be important to prevent the terrorist acts in Iraq against Turkey. In such a condition, Turkey will not need any cross-border operation, he added. The PKK has recently intensified its attacks on Turkish troops, police and civilians. Turkish officials vowed to reciprocate with absolute determination. Ankara has repeatedly urged the Iraqi government not to allow its territory to be used as a springboard by the PKK to launch attacks in Turkey. Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK took up arms in 1984 to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. More than 40,000 people have been killed in conflicts involving the PKK during the past over two decades.