Iran, Turkey says all means on table in PKK fight

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Source: CCTV.com | 10-29-2007 09:12

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan (L) and his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki speak at a joint news conference in Tehran October 28, 2007. Babacan said on Sunday that diplomatic and military options could both be used in the country's fight against Kurdish PKK guerrillas based in northern Iraq.(Reuters)

Turkey's Foreign Minister says both diplomatic and military options are on the table as Ankara considers how to react to cross border attacks into Turkish territory by rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Ali Babacan made his remarks while meeting his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki in Tehran.

Babacan had just come from failed talks with Iraq aimed at averting a possible Turkish cross-border raid. Ankara rejected Iraqi proposals for tackling the PKK as insufficient and too slow.

Babacan says Turkey has lost its patience with the Kurdish rebel group and that Ankara has different options.

Ali Babacan said, "We can use or continue to use diplomatic means, or resort to military means. All of these are on the table, so to speak."

Babacan also thanked Iran for helping to fight the PKK and said the two sides had talked about continuing their cooperation, without giving details.