Iraq urges Turkish troops withdrawal

Iraqi government has denounced Turkey's incursion into the country's northern region, saying it is a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.

"The cabinet in a meeting today expressed its rejection and condemnation of the Turkish military incursion which is considered a violation of Iraq's sovereignty," said a government statement issued by spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh on Tuesday.

"The Cabinet calls on Turkey to withdraw its troops immediately and stop military interference", al-Dabbagh added.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, defended the military offensive against PKK bases in northern Iraq.

Ankara has massed tens of thousands of troops along its frontier with Iraq and has carried out several small-scale cross-border commando operations and aerial bombing raids against the PKK.

The PKK has been fighting for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast since 1984 in a conflict that has claimed more than 37,000 lives. Press TV