EU to Turkey: Stay calm

BRUSSELS, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The European Union condemned the violence by Kurdish rebels in Turkey but urged Ankara to refrain from using military action against Iraq.

In an interview with online news portal EurActiv, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Brussels understands Turkey’s need to protect its citizens from "continual cross-border terrorist attacks."

Yet he also said a peaceful resolution should be the key to resolve the ongoing bloody border conflict.

"We continue to urge Turkey and Iraq to tackle this problem through cooperation between the relevant authorities. ... In this context, the recent bilateral agreement between Turkey and Iraq on the fight against terrorism is a welcome step."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also telephoned his Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, to urge Ankara not to march into northern Iraq, a move that observers fear will destabilize the entire region.

Yet Ankara is in an unenviable position ever since the cross-border violence escalated, resulting in the killing of dozens of Turkish soldiers. The public pressure in Turkey to act against the PKK rebels, some 3,500 of whom Ankara believes are hiding in mountainous northern Iraq, is increasing each day.

Iraqi authorities have not been able to stop the violence originating from northern Iraq; they have also denied Turkish calls to hand over PKK leaders.

Faced with little progress within Iraq, Turkish lawmakers gave the formal green light Friday to a Turkish military operation against the rebels. Senior Turkish politicians, however, have said they would not rush into a military mission but would rather lead an operation together with the United States. Experts have also said the PKK is trying everything to provoke Turkey into marching across the Iraqi border.

Yet time is running out for a peaceful solution of the conflict.

"We respect Iraq's national borders," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said in a statement. "But (we) will not tolerate those who help and harbor terrorists."