Life 'unbearable' for last residents of Iraqi border village
01h26 - DASHTETAKH, Iraq, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) - At the very edge of Iraqi Kurdistan, the remaining residents of this tiny village cling desperately onto their land, despite the shelling and threat of an incursion from neighbouring Turkey.

Police hurt, 100 detained in anti-Kurdish protest in Brussels
21h21 - BRUSSELS, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Ten police officers were injured and 100 demonstrators detained when an anti-Kurdish protest of up to 800 people in the Belgian capital turned violent Wednesday, police said.

Canada condemns Iraq-Turkey border skirmishes
20h56 - OTTAWA, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier on Wednesday urged Iraqi authorities to stop Kurdish "terrorists" from using Iraqi land to launch attacks on neighboring Turkey.

US military sees no sign of Turkish air strikes
19h34 - WASHINGTON, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - A senior US military official said Wednesday he knew of no Turkish air strikes or cross-border incursions into northern Iraq despite reports of such attacks on Kurdish rebels along the border.

Turkish warplanes bomb Kurd rebels
19h31 - ANKARA, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel targets along the Iraqi border on Wednesday as the country's National Security Council urged economic sanctions against Iraqi Kurds accused of backing the insurgents.

US urges Iraq to shut offices of Kurdish rebels
19h27 - WASHINGTON, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - The United States urged Iraq Wednesday to follow-through on a new promise to shut the offices of Kurdish rebels battling Turkish forces, noting that Baghdad made the same vow 13 months ago.

Turkish raids on Iraq senseless 'without good intelligence': Gates
18h48 - NOORDWIJK, Netherlands, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Turkish strikes against Kurdish rebels on its border with Iraq made little sense without "good intelligence", said US Defense Secretary Robert Gates Wednesday.

Turkey's security council calls for sanctions against Iraqi Kurds
18h37 - ANKARA, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey's National Security Council on Wednesday called on the government to apply economic sanctions against the Iraqi Kurds, who are accused of supporting Kurdish separatist fighters in northern Iraq.

Cyprus accuses Britain of wooing Turkey at its expense
17h59 - NICOSIA, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Cyprus protested to Britain on Wednesday over a partnership deal struck with Turkey that envisages high-level contacts with the breakaway north of the divided island to help end Turkish Cypriot isolation.

NATO allies express solidarity with Turkey
17h56 - NOORDWIJK, Netherlands, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - NATO expressed solidarity with Turkey on Wednesday against Kurdish rebel attacks and said Ankara was showing "remarkable restraint" in the circumstances.

Iraq president denies offer to extradite PKK rebels
17h19 - BAGHDAD, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani denied on Wednesday Turkish reports that he had offered to extradite leaders of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) based inside Iraq.

US warns against hiking tensions between Turkey, Iraqis
14h43 - WASHINGTON, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - US officials Wednesday warned against escalating tensions between Iraq and Turkey, renewing calls for restraint by both sides as Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel bases along the Iraqi border.

Kurdish party calls on rebels to release Turkish soldiers
14h25 - ANKARA, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey's main Kurdish political party urged Kurdish rebels Wednesday to release eight Turkish soldiers they say they are holding and offered to mediate their safe return.

Turkish planes bomb rebel targets on Iraqi border
14h06 - ANKARA, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Turkish warplanes Wednesday bombed Kurdish rebel targets along the Iraqi border in southeast Turkey, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

White House urges restraint from Turkey, Iraqis
13h49 - WASHINGTON, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - The White House on Wednesday urged restraint from Turkey as its forces took aim at Kurdish rebels operating in neighbor Iraq, warning of "escalating tensions" between Baghdad and Ankara.

Iran confirms two Kurdish journalists sentenced to death
10h43 - TEHRAN, July 31, 2007 (AFP) - Iran's judiciary on Tuesday for the first time confirmed that two Iranian Kurdish journalists have been sentenced to death for being "enemies of God."

Kurds risk jail in Turkey in language row
11h05 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 30, 2007 (AFP) - Turkish prosecutors are seeking jail terms of up to three years for two Kurdish mayors and 17 aldermen who introduce Kurdish and other languages in office, court officials said Monday.

US, Turkey planning operations against Kurdish guerrillas: report
07h13 - WASHINGTON, July 30, 2007 (AFP) - The United States and Turkey are preparing a covert military operation to suppress Kurdish guerrillas based in northern Iraq and capture their leaders, the Washington Post reported Monday.

Kurdish rebels kill Turkish soldier
19h40 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 29, 2007 (AFP) - A Turkish soldier was killed and three others injured Sunday during two skirmishes with Kurdish rebels in the southeast of the country, security sources said.

Kurdish rebels deny reports that four leaders killed in Iraq
10h21 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, July 28, 2007 (AFP) - The separatist Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) on Saturday denied Turkish reports that four of its leaders had been killed in a suicide attack in a camp in northern Iraq.

Four Kurdish rebel leaders killed in northern Iraq
08h15 - ANKARA, July 28, 2007 (AFP) - Four leaders of the banned separatist Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed in a suicide attack in a camp in northern Iraq, Turkish media reported Saturday.

Turkish soldier killed in clash with Kurd rebels
07h01 - ANKARA, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - A Turkish soldier was killed overnight in fighting with separatist Kurdish rebels in northern Turkey, local officials said Friday.

Watchdog raises alert on Kurdish journalists' death sentence
12h28 - PARIS, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - A global press freedoms watchdog urged the international community Wednesday to intervene to stop the execution of two Kurdish journalists sentenced to death in Iran.

Kurdish woman activist leaves jail for parliament
16h59 - GEBZE, Turkey, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - A jailed Kurdish activist elected to Turkey's legislature in Sunday's elections was released Tuesday under legal provisions that grant judicial immunity to members of parliament.

Kurdish activist leaves jail for parliament in Turkey
16h41 - GEBZE, Turkey, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - A jailed Kurdish activist elected to Turkey's legislature was released Tuesday under rules that grant judicial immunity to members of parliament.

Turkey's Kurds face tough uphill in parliamentary comeback
12h44 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - Thirteen years after being kicked out of parliament, Turkey's Kurds staged a hard-won comeback in Sunday's election but their goal of reconciliation is made difficult by an upsurge in separatist violence.

Turkey's Kurds set to return to parliament
21h02 - ANKARA, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - Militant Kurdish politicians were voted back to the country's parliament Sunday after a 13-year absence, winning more than 20 seats in general elections, their leader said.

Ex-MP probed for urging Kurdish autonomy
15h25 - ANKARA, July 21, 2007 (AFP) - A Turkish prosecutor said Saturday he is investigating a former Kurdish lawmaker accused of advocating autonomy for Kurds, a news agency reported.

Turkey warns of possible incursion into Iraq after elections
12h48 - ANKARA, July 21, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey warned Saturday that it could send troops into northern Iraq after Sunday's general elections if talks with Iraqi and US officials fail to produce effective measures against Kurdish rebels based there.

Turkey warns of possible Iraq incursion after elections
07h28 - ANKARA, July 21, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey warned Saturday that it could send troops into northern Iraq if talks with Iraqi and US officials after Sunday's general elections fail to produce effective measures against Kurdish rebels based there.

Turkish forces kill two suspected Kurdish rebels
17h35 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 20, 2007 (AFP) - Turkish security forces killed two members of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Friday in fighting in the southeast region near the Iraqi and Syrian borders, officials said.

Turkey fumes at Austria for failing to arrest wanted Kurd rebel
09h53 - ANKARA, July 19, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey lashed out at Austria Thursday for failing to extradite a wanted senior Kurdish rebel to Ankara and allowing him to go to Iraq instead, accusing Vienna of undermining international efforts against terrorism.

Two Turkish soldiers killed in blast blamed on Kurdish rebels
07h06 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 18, 2007 (AFP) - Two Turkish soldiers were killed and six others injured when their vehicle hit a landmine planted by separatist Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey, local officials said.

Turkey's Kurds battle legal hurdles on way to parliament
03h43 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 18, 2007 (AFP) - At the headquarters of Turkey's main Kurdish party, activists busily prepare election material: leaflets and posters, but also bizarre stencils and lengths of string that may help sway the outcome of the vote in the southeast.

6,000 Kurdish fighters to guard Iraq oil installations
14h53 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, July 17, 2007 (AFP) - The Iraqi government will soon dispatch about 6,000 former Kurdish guerrillas to protect electric and oil infrastructure from insurgents attacks, a security official said on Tuesday.

Two soldiers, Kurdish rebel killed in fighting in southeastern Turkey
12h41 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 17, 2007 (AFP) - Two Turkish soldiers and a Kurdish rebel were killed in a clash in the country's restive southeast, the army said Tuesday.

Syria's Assad vows to resolve status of Kurds
12h10 - DAMASCUS, July 17, 2007 (AFP) - Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday announced new measures to grant citizenship to hundreds of thousands of ethnic Kurds who have hitherto been denied Syrian nationality.

Two soldiers killed in fighting in southeastern Turkey
08h02 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 17, 2007 (AFP) - Two Turkish soldiers were killed in a clash with separatist Kurdish rebels in southeast Turkey, officials said Tuesday.

Turkey's Kurds eye parliamentary comeback
01h27 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 17, 2007 (AFP) - Thirteen years after they were dramatically expelled from Turkey's parliament, Kurdish politicians are poised for a comeback in a general election Sunday, pledging efforts at reconciliation at a time of simmering anger over renewed Kurdish rebel violence.

Iraq border ambush kills eight
12h30 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, July 15, 2007 (AFP) - Gunmen killed seven Iraqi border guards and a civilian on Sunday in an ambush on the Iranian frontier near Penjwin, in the autonomous Kurdish north, a security official said.

Iraq border ambush kills eight
12h30 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, July 15, 2007 (AFP) - Gunmen killed seven Iraqi border guards and a civilian on Sunday in an ambush on the Iranian frontier near Penjwin, in the autonomous Kurdish north, a security official said.

Five border guards killed in northern Iraq ambush
08h53 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, July 15, 2007 (AFP) - Five Iraqi border guards were killed on Sunday when gunmen ambushed their patrol on the Iranian frontier near Penjwin, in the autonomous Kurdish north, a security official said.

Turkey seeks US explanation over rebels weapons
09h11 - ANKARA, July 14, 2007 (AFP) - Turkey has formally demanded an explanation from the United States about how US weapons have ended up in the hands of Turkish Kurd rebels based in neighbouring Iraq, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying Saturday.

Rights group says 225 killed in Turkey unrest in six months
12h14 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 13, 2007 (AFP) - A total of 225 people died in Turkey in escalating violence between Turkish forces and armed Kurdish rebels in the first half of 2007, the country's main human rights watchdog said Friday.

Two soldiers killed in violence in eastern Turkey
08h52 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 13, 2007 (AFP) - Two Turkish soldiers died in fresh violence blamed on armed Kurdish rebels in the east of the country, officials said Friday.

Iranians shell Kurdish rebel haven in northern Iraq
18h35 - SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, July 12, 2007 (AFP) - Iranian forces bombarded northern Iraq's rugged Bashdar region on Thursday targeting Kurdish guerrillas, local officials told AFP.

Iraq mulls hanging 'Chemical Ali' in Kurdish region
17h45 - BAGHDAD, July 12, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq is considering hanging "Chemical Ali" in its northern Kurdish region if an appeal court confirms his death sentence for the slaughter of ethnic Kurds, a government official said Thursday.

Turkey not ruling out military response to Kurdish rebels: ambassador
17h08 - WASHINGTON, July 11, 2007 (AFP) - Iraqi Kurdish leaders are arming rebels with US-made weapons for attacks inside Turkey, the Turkish ambassador said here Wednesday, warning that Ankara could not rule out a military response.

US braces for more Qaeda attacks in Iraq
16h27 - BAGHDAD, July 11, 2007 (AFP) - The US military on Wednesday said it expected more high-profile attacks from militant group Al-Qaeda in Iraq, which it claimed killed and wounded more than 4,000 people in the past six months.

Iraqi draft oil law changed substantially: Kurd
15h31 - ARBIL, Iraq, July 11, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq's controversial draft oil law has undergone substantial changes that threaten the interests of the northern Kurdish region, a senior Kurdish official said Wednesday.

Iran arrests spies, bombers in Kurdish area
17h31 - TEHRAN, July 9, 2007 (AFP) - Iran has arrested 20 people for espionage and three members of a Kurdish militant party for a bombing last year in the western city of Kermanshah, a local intelligence official said on Monday.

Thousands demonstate in Turkey against rebel PKK
15h39 - ANKARA, July 7, 2007 (AFP) - Thousands of people demonstrated in Ankara on Saturday to protest the activities of the banned separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has stepped up violence this year.

Iraq Kurdish oil deals must comply with new law: minister
19h15 - DUBAI, July 6, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq's oil minister said on Friday that oil contracts concluded by the Kurdish regional government must be amended to conform with a controversial new draft oil law approved by the Baghdad cabinet.

Three killed in unrest in southeast Turkey
06h56 - DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, July 5, 2007 (AFP) - Two Kurdish rebels and a member of a pro-government militia have been killed in fresh violence in Turkey's restive southeast, security officials said Thursday.

Iraqi Kurds, Sunnis complain about new oil law
11h59 - BAGHDAD, July 4, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq's Kurdish and Sunni leaders on Wednesday complained they were being kept in the dark over oil legislation set to go before parliament, saying they had not seen the final bill approved by cabinet.

Iraqi Kurds warn against major changes to oil law
09h33 - BAGHDAD, July 4, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq's Kurdish regional government warned on Wednesday against any major changes to oil legislation set to go before parliament, saying it had not seen the final bill approved by the cabinet.

US military warns Turkey off Iraq raid
19h49 - WASHINGTON, July 3, 2007 (AFP) - The US military warned Turkey Tuesday against destabilizing northern Iraq by carrying out a threatened cross-border raid on Kurdish rebels.

Three Kurds suspected of planning attacks arrested in Istanbul
14h58 - ISTANBUL, July 1, 2007 (AFP) - Three suspected Kurdish rebels, including one woman, have been arrested in Istanbul where they are thought to have been planning large-scale attacks, the Anatolia news agency reported Sunday.

Kurds woo investors as Iraq knocks at the door
03h25 - ARBIL, Iraq, July 1, 2007 (AFP) - Northern Iraq's relatively stable Kurdish region is trying to attract oil prospectors and investors instead of insurgents in an ambitious bid to rival commercial hotspots like Dubai.