ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's military said on Friday it had launched a cross-border land offensive backed by fighter jets into northern Iraq on Thursday evening to hunt down Kurdish PKK guerrillas based there.
Turkish broadcaster NTV reported, without citing sources,that 10,000 troops had entered Iraqi territory.
"The Turkish Armed Forces, which attach great importance toIraq's territorial integrity and stability, will return home inthe shortest time possible after its goals have been achieved,"the General Staff said in a statement posted on its website.
The General Staff said the cross-border offensive waslaunched at 7 pm local time (5 p.m. British time) on Thursday.
In Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said hisgovernment was not aware of any Turkish ground offensive intonorthern Iraq.
NATO member Turkey says it has the right underinternational law to hit PKK rebels who take shelter innorthern Iraq and have mounted attacks inside Turkey that havekilled scores of troops in recent months.
Iraq has repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution todeal with the PKK guerrillas but Turkey's government is underdomestic pressure to take military action against the rebels.
Turkey launched several major land offensives into northernIraq against the outlawed separatist PKK, considered aterrorist organisation by the United States, Turkey and theEuropean Union, in the 1990s.
(Editing by Giles Elgood)
