¡¡¡¡ANKARA, Aug. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The Turkish military on Friday flatly denied press reports that there are 5,000 Turkish troops in northern Iraq, reported the Anatolian News Agency.

¡¡¡¡In a written statement, the Office of Chief of the General Staffalso dismissed news about Turkish troops invading the Bamami airport in northern Iraq.

¡¡¡¡"There is news about Turkish troops being in northern Iraq, electronic equipment and machines have been sent to the region as well and has a military power of 5,000 troops. This news is not accurate," the statement said.

¡¡¡¡It noted that "the Bamami airport was destroyed during the Gulf War and it cannot serve as an airport."

¡¡¡¡On Thursday, the leader of the Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Jalal Talabani, declared in an interview with NTV television in Ankara that Turkish troops were protecting an airportin northern Iraq and they also had tanks.

¡¡¡¡Main Turkish dailies repeated the claims in the following day and indicated details about Turkish troops as well as the airport'ssituation.

¡¡¡¡It was reported that Turkish troops used to make way into northern Iraq in pursuit of the rebel forces of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

¡¡¡¡The Turkish authorities accused PKK of carrying on armed struggle with an aim of forming an independent Kurdish state in theKurds-populated southeastern provinces. Enditem

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