Turkey wraps up Iraq offensive, says objectives achieved
by Sibel Utku Bila Fri Feb 29, 4:40 PM ET
ANKARA (AFP) - Turkish forces pulled out from northern Iraq Friday, ending a week-long offensive against Kurdish rebels that the United States feared could fuel a broader conflict in the region.
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Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan however said Ankara would continue to fight the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and urged its militants to lay down their arms.
The Turkish military denied the withdrawal was a hasty decision taken under US pressure and said its forces, who stormed into northern Iraq on February 21, had achieved their objectives.
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