Friday, 8 June, 2007 , 12:32 AFP — Turkey's electoral board banned Friday three Kurdish former lawmakers and the country's former Islamist prime minister from standing in next month's legislative elections because of their criminal records.

Friday, 8 June, 2007 , 11:02 AFP — The Turkish army has beefed up its presence on the Iraqi border, with no-go security zones and live ammunition manoeuvres seen as signs of a possible cross-border operation to neutralise Turkish Kurd rebels.

Friday, 8 June, 2007 , 10:28 AFP — The Turkish army vowed Friday to strike back at separatist Kurdish rebels after four soldiers were killed in the southeast of the country in a landmine explosion blamed on the militants.

Thursday, 7 June, 2007 , 17:27 AFP — The president of Iraq's Kurdish region on Thursday rejected Ankara's declaration that it was ready for dialogue with Iraqi Kurds provided they took measures against Turkish Kurd rebels holed up in the autonomous enclave.

Sunday, 3 June, 2007 , 04:00 AFP — US Defence Secretary Robert Gates urged Turkey Sunday not to resort to unilateral military action against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.

Saturday, 2 June, 2007 , 13:52 AFP — The first female Kurdish member of Turkey's parliament, who spent 10 years in jail for links to separatist rebels and was honoured by human rights campaigners, will not run in next month's elections.

Saturday, 2 June, 2007 , 11:00 AFP — Iraq's prime minister and the president of the country's northern Kurdish region on Saturday hit back at Turkish invasion threats, and called for diplomacy to solve the problems.

Friday, 1 June, 2007 , 21:59 AFP — The Turkish army on Friday warned Kurds in control of neighbouring northern Iraq that Ankara would respond "at the highest level" if its soldiers in the autonomous region are treated badly or harmed.

Friday, 1 June, 2007 , 14:16 AFP — Turkish troops killed two Kurdish rebels Friday in eastern Turkey while eight soldiers were wounded in a roadside explosion blamed on the militants, local officials said.

Friday, 1 June, 2007 , 10:42 AFP — Turkish troops killed two Kurdish rebels Friday in eastern Turkey while six soldiers were wounded in a mine explosion blamed on the militants, local security sources and the Anatolia news agency said.