Turkey troops move 'could increase tension'

Turkey could risk expanding regional tensions with a “robust” move of troops into northern Iraq against Kurdish rebels, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

The statement by Rice suggested that Washington could do little to halt limited Turkish incursions across the rugged frontier against the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party, also known as PKK, which launches raids into south-east Turkey from hideouts in Iraq.

Rice said it was “not good for anybody for a robust move across the border.”

She described it as “not good for Iraq and not good for Turkey.”

Turkey established “temporary security zones” near the border on Wednesday after a Turkish security official and an Iraqi Kurdish official said hundreds of Turkish soldiers crossed the border pursuing guerrillas.

Turkey’s foreign minister denied there was a cross-border operation.

But the Turkish military buildup on the border has raised concerns about a large-scale offensive into the predominantly Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

US officials worry its Iraqi Kurdish allies could be drawn into the conflict.