ANKARA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey was in a successful military operation process that would both secure the Turkish-Iraqi border and restore stability and tranquility in the region, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

    Commenting on the latest cross-border operations, Erdogan said that Turkey has used whatever necessary within the framework of international law and would definitely continue to do so.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is seen in Ankara in this Nov. 29, 2007 file photo. Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey was in a successful military operation process that would both secure the Turkish-Iraqi border and restore stability and tranquility in the region. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Refuting the claims that there were civilian casualties during the operations, Erdogan reiterated that Turkey did not have a negative point of view towards the Iraqi people, their territorial integrity, national unity and stability.

    "On the contrary, Turkey is resolved to contribute to the tranquility and prosperity of the Iraqi people," he said.

    Erdogan said Turkey understood well the requirements of the international law, stressing that the only target of the operations was the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).

    Moreover, the Prime Minister indicated that the aim of the PKK was actually to disrupt harmony in the region, and "thus our target is to uproot this terrorist organization from the whole region," said Erdogan.

    In addition, he accused the terrorist activities carried out by the PKK of being an impediment of development in regions in Turkey and northern Iraq, as "no one is willing to invest in the region where fear, hopelessness and insecurity prevails."

    The Turkish military has launched several air attacks in north Iraq recently in a bid to fight separatist PKK rebels, who use northern Iraq as a launch pad for attacks against Turkey.

    The PKK, listed by the United States and Turkey as a terrorist group, took up arms against Turkey in 1984 with the aim of creating an ethnic homeland in the southeast. More than 30,000 people have been killed in the over-two-decade conflict.

Some 150-175 PKK rebels killed in Turkish airstrikes in N Iraq

ANKARA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish warplanes had killed about 150-175 militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in the military operations in northern Iraq on Dec. 16, said a statement issued by the Turkish General Staff on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the number did not include rebels who were killed in hide-outs and caves that crumbled, as well as those injured who were sent to hospitals. Full story

Bush calls Turkish PM amid strikes against Kurdish rebels

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday amid Turkey's military strikes against the bases of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

    "The president and the prime minister exchanged greetings and best wishes for the New Year," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. Full story

TV: Turkish jets bomb Kurdish rebel positions in N Iraq

    ANKARA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish warplanes bombed targets of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) based in northern Iraq on Sunday, private NTV television reported.

    Turkish aircraft struck important targets of the PKK in northern Iraq between 15:00 to 16:00 local time (1300 to 1400 GMT),said the report. Full story

Turkish PM vows to continue to fight against Kurdish rebels

    ANKARA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkish army will continue to do what is has to do from now on in fight against militants of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK).

    Erdogan made the remarks at a joint press conference in Ankara after his meeting with visitng Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, saying, "Our army is doing what it has to do right now."  Full story

Five Kurdish rebels killed in Turkish air strikes in N Iraq

    DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Five members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were killed when Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebels in Iraq's northern region on Sunday, Kurdish sources told Xinhua.

    The sources said the 5 PKK militants were killed when Turkish warplanes launched strikes on PKK targets in Zap, Avashin, Xakurk regions and Qandil Mountain. Full story

Turkish PM calls operation in fight against PKK "success"

    ANKARA, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the operation conducted by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) against camps of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq a "success", the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Sunday.

    Speaking at a ceremony in Izmir province of western Turkey, Erdogan said, "the operation conducted during nighttime became successful according to our preliminary assessments."   Full story