"Each young Kurdish patriot should refuse to do his (military) service in these conditions, or at least refuse to participate in operations" in the southeast, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said in a statement.

The call for military desertion was made after Turkish security officials announced that two Kurdish rebels, including a PKK regional chief, had been killed in clashes with the army in Kurd-majority Diyarbakir province early Saturday.

Military service is mandatory for Turkish males once they reach 18. The length of service runs from six to 15 months, depending on education level, and there is no alternate service or clause allowing for conscientious objectors.

For many Kurds from destitute parts of the southeast, army service has traditionally provided an opportunity to learn how to read and write, as well as job training for civilian life afterwards.

The armed rebel PKK has stepped up attacks against Turkish security forces over the past few months. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

More than 37,000 people have died since the start of the PKK separatist insurrection in 1984.