Turkish military activity in Diyarbakir

(24 Oct 2007) 1. Helicopter landing 2. Helicopter taxiing next to parked one 3. Plane taxiing on tarmac 4. Helicopter taxiing 5. Plane taking off STORYLINE Turkey on Wednesday continued to move troops to its border with the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, as tensions continued to rise over a threatened military incursion. AP Television filmed helicopters and fighter jets taking off and landing at Diyarbakir airbase in the country's south east on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the country's official Anatolia news agency said warplanes and helicopter gunships bombed positions of Kurdish rebels along the rugged Iraqi-Turkish border. According to the Anatolia news agency, Turkish warplanes and helicopter gunships bombed positions of Kurdish rebels along the rugged border with Iraq on Wednesday, targeting mountain paths used by rebels to infiltrate into Turkey. Turkey's leaders face growing demands at home to stage the offensive into northern Iraq, where the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party - the PKK - rest, train and get supplies in relative safety before returning to Turkey to conduct attacks. Several F-16 warplanes loaded with bombs took off from an air base in southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Wednesday, private Dogan news agency and local reporters said. A government official confirmed on Wednesday that Turkish helicopter gunships had penetrated into Iraqi territory on Sunday and that troops have shelled suspected Kurdish rebel positions across the border in Iraq. US-made Cobra and Super Cobra attack helicopters chased Kurdish rebels some 5 kilometres (3 miles) into Iraqi territory on Sunday but returned to their bases in Turkey after a rebel ambush killed 12 soldiers near the border, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. He also said Turkish artillery units shelled rebel positions as recently as Tuesday night but did not say which areas were targeted and refused to give further information. Turkey, which has moved troops to the Iraq border, warned Iraq and Western allies on Tuesday that a Turkish incursion is imminent unless the US-backed government in Baghdad takes action, and said there would be no cease-fire with the separatist fighters. A high-level delegation from Iraq was expected to visit Ankara on Thursday. During the funerals Tuesday of 12 soldiers slain in the weekend ambush, tens of thousands mourners chanted slogans urging the government to order an incursion. Adding to the tensions is the alleged capture of eight Turkish soldiers who have been missing since Sunday's ambush. Several newspapers printed pictures showing eight missing soldiers - allegedly hostages in the hands of separatist rebels. Turkey seems willing to refrain from a major cross-border action until at least early next month, when it is scheduled to host foreign ministers for a meeting about Iraq. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has proposed a meeting among the United States, Iraq and Turkey during the Nov. 2-3 conference in Istanbul. Almost immediately afterward, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to go to Washington to meet with US President George W. Bush. The Turkish leader is likely to reiterate demands that the US-backed government in Iraq take steps to close off supply lines to the PKK and take other measures to reduce the group's effectiveness, possibly including military action. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...