Turkish parliament renews military's mandate to hit PKK in Iraq

Parliament on Tuesday extended the government's mandate to order military strikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in neighboring northern Iraq.

Of the 475 lawmakers present in the 550-seat chamber, 452 backed the motion giving the government another yearlong mandate for cross-border operations against PKK hideouts in northern Iraq. Only 23 lawmakers voted against the motion.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the fresh mandate would deter PKK terrorists and bolster Ankara's efforts to introduce democratic reforms.

"Keeping the option of military force on the table, along with economic, social and cultural measures, will strengthen our deterrence and gives us more room to maneuver," he told the assembly.

"Our target is to establish a sustainable environment of security where we will never need a mandate like this again," he said.

The current mandate expires Oct. 17. Parliament already extended the mandate once, which was first approved in 2007.

All opposition parties, except the pro-Kurdish Democracy Party,or DTP, gave solid backing to the government in Tuesday's vote. The DTP argued extending the mandate was contrary to the government's plan to boost democracy and end bloodshed.

"There can be no peace when people are dying ... Why do we insist on military operations? The people living in this country want us to stop this war," DTP deputy Gültan Kışanak said.

Using intelligence supplied by the United States, the military has staged a series of air raids against separatists, based in northern Iraq, since December 2007, and, in February the following year, carried out a weeklong ground incursion.

The General Staff said hundreds of PKK terrorists have been killed in the strikes.

Since August, the government has been trying to win public support for an initiative to improve rights and liberties for Kurds, with the hope of eroding support for the PKK.

There have been no details on the planned measures, but the government has already ruled out Kurdish demands for an end to military operations against the PKK, a general amnesty for the separatists and a constitutional amendment to give official recognition to Kurdish identity and culture.

The PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms in 1984. The conflict has claimed some 45,000 lives.