Thousands of people joined state-sponsored rallies in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast on Saturday to protest against increased attacks by separatist rebels of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). But hours after the rallies, which coincided with mounting speculation of a Turkish army incursion into nearby northern Iraq to hit PKK bases there, three soldiers were killed and six hurt by a landmine detonated by the rebels in Sirnak province. The incident, which unusually claimed the lives of two officers as well as a private, will pile further pressure on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government to get tough with the rebels and perhaps send troops across the mountainous border. Turkey’s top generals have urged the government, which faces a strong nationalist challenge in national elections next month, to authorise an incursion into northern Iraq, where up to 4,000 PKK fighters are believed to be hiding. Full Story
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