LOC21:06
18:06 GMT
ANKARA, Feb 19 (KUNA) -- Turkish foreign minister Ali Babacan said Tuesday
carrying out a wide-scale military operations against the PKK militants in
northern Iraq was still an option.
Anadolu news agency quoted Babacan as saying on board an airplane taking
him to Moscow that the military offensive would depend on the weather.
"We are open for a ground military operation but the timing is important to
us and we will take our decision based on the weather," Babacan said and noted
that the armed forces have full authority in this respect.
"We have informed the armed forces and authorites concerned of what need to
be done," he said.
President of the Kurdistan region Masoud Barzani failed to take necessary
actions to build confidence with Turkey with regard to the termination of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), he said. (end)
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