Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has said that a military operation is still planned against Kurdish militants based in northern Iraq.
Mr Erdogan held crucial talks with US President George W Bush yesterday to push the US to crackdown on some 3,000 Kurdistan Workers Party rebels based in northern Iraq from where they have been carrying out attacks on Turkey.
Mr Bush told reporters after their talks that he was committed to countering the militants and offered to share intelligence with Ankara, a NATO ally.
Mr Erdogan said a process was underway that could lead to an operation against the PKK.
Last month, the Turkish parliament approved a government request to be able to launch major military cross-border operations into northern Iraq against the PKK.
During a speech at the National Press Club in Washington DC yesterday, Mr Erdogan said Turkey would not launch a war but an operation, suggesting a limited military offensive against PKK guerrillas.
The US has urged Turkey not to send in thousands of troops, fearing it could destabilise northern Iraq and cause a bigger regional crisis.
Turkey has mustered 100,000 troops on the border with Iraq.
