Iraqi President Celal Talabani has called on Turkey not to carry out operations in Northern Iraq, and on the PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party) to stop their attacks.

Stop activities or leave 

According to PUK Media, Talabani made a statement after meeting with the French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris. He said that the Iraqi government was ready to cooperate with Turkey.

Talabani said that, should the PKK not end their armed struggle, "we want them to leave our country and go somewhere else, because the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Kurdish people will not tolerate it."

Both the Iraqi Parliament and the Kurdistan Regional Government have assembled in order to discuss the possibility of Turkey carrying out incursions into Northern Iraq.

Bush: Turkey will not profit from operations

Meanwhile, US President George Bush said at the White House, "We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don't think it is in their interest to send troops into Iraq."

Tom Casey, spokesperson of the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called on Turkey to be levelheaded; he added that the best strategy to pursue was not unilateral cross-border incursions but cooperation.

NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has also asked President Abdullah Gül to be cautious.

Iraq pushing for diplomatic efforts

Iraqi Vice President Tarik Hasimi said before his departure from Turkey that "I have got from my Ankara visit what I was looking for". He said that prior to operations the Iraqi government needed to be given a chance.

Barham Salih, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, told British MPs at a meeting that they were asking Britain to use their influence in order to prevent Turkish operations in Northern Iraq, because such operations would threaten Iraq's security and stability.

Support from Syria

Syrian President Bashar Assad announced after a meeting with Gül in Ankara that he would support Turkey in its decisions concerning terrorism and the fight against terrorims, and that this was Turkey's legitimate right."

He also accused "the forces which have occupied Iraq" of mainly being to blame for terrorist activities in Iraq. Assad added that they were in agreement as to Iraq's territorial integrity. (TK/AG)