Chances down of Turkish invasion into north Iraq: Iraqi FM

BRUSSELS - The likelihood that Turkey will launch a major military operation in northern Iraq to strike at Kurdish terrorist bases has diminished, Iraq Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Tuesday.
"We believe the chances of a major invasion are less now," he told reporters in Brussels, ahead of talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
"Turkey has shown wisely a great deal of restraint in order not to destabilise the situation in Iraq, especially when things are moving positively," he said.
The Turkish government last month won parliament's backing to order troops into northern Iraq if necessary to strike at bases used by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The PKK uses the bases to launch attacks into Turkish territory, and Ankara has subsequently massed an estimated 100,000 troops and military equipment on the border with Iraq.
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11/20/2007 10:53 GMT