The UN chief today appealed for dialogue to resolve fears of a Turkish offensive against Kurdish rebels based in Iraq, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki pledged to work with his country’s neighbours to fight terrorism.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Turkey today to keep up diplomatic pressure on preventing an invasion of northern Iraq.

Turkey today insisted that any cross border raid into Iraq would be a military operation and not an invasion.

Turkish helicopters attacked Kurdish rebel positions in mountains near the Iraq border today as troops kept up pressure on the guerrillas.

Turkey will take steps to fight Iraq-based Kurdish rebels “when needed,” regardless of international pressure, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today.

Turkey today demanded Iraq hand over more than 150 Kurdish rebels from the PKK terrorist group hiding in the country’s northern mountains.

Turkish troops killed more than 30 Kurdish rebels as they set up an ambush near the border with Iraq, it emerged today.

Turkish planes and helicopter gunships bombed Kurdish rebels along the border with Iraq today.

The looming crisis on Turkey’s border with Iraq is likely to dominate a Nato defence ministers summit starting today.

Turkish troops have shelled suspected Kurdish rebel positions across the border in Iraq, a government official said today.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown today promised to help Turkey “root out” PKK terrorists launching attacks against the country from bases inside Iraq.

Thousands of Turks gathered today for the funerals of 12 soldiers killed in the weekend’s Kurdish rebel attack.

Turkey today rejected a ceasefire announced by Kurdish rebels and continued with its troop build-up on the border with Iraq.

Turkey's foreign minister arrived in Baghdad today for talks with his Iraqi counterpart and the nation's president, both Kurds, on the border crisis.

Hopes of a peaceful end to the showdown between Turkish troops and Kurdish rebels seemed remote today, despite the offer of a ceasefire.

A spokesman for Iraq's president said today Kurdish PKK rebels, responsible for the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers yesterday, will announce a ceasefire tonight.

Kurdish rebels who killed 12 Turkish soldiers yesterday raised the stakes today by claiming to have taken another eight hostage during the fight.

Turkey fired about 15 artillery shells toward Kurdish villages in the border area of northern Iraq today but caused no casualties, an Iraqi army officer said.

Separatist Kurdish rebels attacked a military unit near Turkey’s border with Iraq and Iran today, killing nine Turkish soldiers, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.