Finnish sociologist detained, to be deported from Turkey
12h17 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Dec 16, 2006 (AFP) - A Finnish sociologist was detained in Turkey's mainly Kurdish populated east and will be deported Saturday, local security sources and diplomats said.

First Iranian kerosene arrives in Iraqi city
11h57 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Dec 14, 2006 (AFP) - The first shipment of 13 trucks of Iranian produced kerosene arrived in the northern Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah on Thursday, officials said.

Bush, Kurds, discuss Iraq strategy
17h43 - WASHINGTON, Dec 13, 2006 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Wednesday discussed the way forward in Iraq with its two top Kurd leaders as he ended a round of high-profile consultations on overhauling his war-fighting strategy.

Bush, Kurd leaders discuss Iraq
17h24 - WASHINGTON, Dec 13, 2006 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and top Kurd leaders in Iraq discussed a possible overhaul of US strategy there as well as plans for handling oil revenues, the White House said on Wednesday.

Death toll reaches eight in collapse of Turkish billets
15h36 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Dec 12, 2006 (AFP) - Three more bodies were on Tuesday pulled from the wreckage of a building that housed families of Turkish soldiers here, bringing the death toll from Monday's explosion to eight, officials said.

Syrian jailed for 12 years for Brotherhood membership
13h58 - DAMASCUS, Dec 10, 2006 (AFP) - Syria's High Security Court on Sunday sentenced a Syrian to 12 years in prison for membership of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, a human rights group said.

PKK threatens to end ceasefire with Turkey
09h51 - ANKARA, Dec 10, 2006 (AFP) - The separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) could call off a two-month-old unilateral ceasefire with Turkey if Ankara continues to crack down on the rebels and mistreat its Kurdish community, a senior rebel commander said Sunday.

Turkish soldier killed in mine blast blamed on Kurdish rebels
11h20 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Dec 9, 2006 (AFP) - A Turkish soldier was killed and 11 others were injured in a landmine explosion in southeast Turkey blamed on the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), local security sources said Saturday.

Turkey blames Kurds for fatal army helicopter crash
15h44 - ANKARA, Dec 8, 2006 (AFP) - Turkey's army command Friday blamed Kurdish separatist rebels for the crash of a military helicopter in the country's mainly Kurdish southeast which killed one soldier and injured five others.

Iraq Kurd leader rejects Baker report as 'inappropriate'
13h02 - BAGHDAD, Dec 8, 2006 (AFP) - The president of Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region issued a strongly worded rebuke Friday of the Iraq Study Group's report on the situation in Iraq and recommendations for US policy, describing it as "unrealistic and inappropriate".

US sanctions five 'terrorists', including Oslo-based Kurd
19h49 - WASHINGTON, Dec 7, 2006 (AFP) - The US Treasury Thursday blacklisted five men, including a Kurdish militant living in Oslo known as Mullah Krekar and a Moroccan-born Swede, for aiding terrorism by Al-Qaeda and other groups.

Iraq and Kurds fail to agree on budget, oil
15h12 - ARBIL, Iraq, Dec 7, 2006 (AFP) - The prime minister of Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region said on Thursday talks with the central government on budgets and oil had failed, further threatening the unity of the fragile country.

Iran Kurd rebels split
13h06 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, Dec 7, 2006 (AFP) - A prominent leader of the rebel Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) announced Thursday that he had broken away to form his own party with several other senior members.

Roadside blasts kill three soldiers in Turkey
07h40 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Dec 6, 2006 (AFP) - Two roadside blasts blamed on the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have killed three soldiers in southeast Turkey, officials said on Wednesday.

Five Kurdish rebels killed in southeast Turkey
12h57 - ANKARA, Dec 5, 2006 (AFP) - Five Kurdish rebels were killed in clashes with the army in southeast Turkey despite a ceasefire the militants called in October, the Turkish general staff said in a statement here Tuesday.