Washington Institute's Expert On Cross-border Operation

ANKARA - Another ground operation by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) to the north of Iraq is probable, said Soner Cagaptay, director of the Washington Institute's Turkish Research Program.
In an interview with the A.A correspondent on Tuesday, Cagaptay said, "it can be a specific operation to capture a top terrorist of PKK. In other words it is possible to say that the era of military operations has begun again."
Cagaptay said that terrorist organization PKK would abstain from serious attacks in the upcoming period.
Some considered that there is a connection between statements of the U.S. authorities and termination of the operation, but withdrawal of Turkish troops was planned earlier than those statements were made, he also said.
Kurds in the north of Iraq would convince terrorist organization PKK to give up its activities in order to avoid a re-entry of Turkish troops in the area, he stated.
Cagaptay said the relationship between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds is up for improvement, but Iraqi Kurds should take decisive steps in regard to terrorist organization PKK.