But Selahattin Demirtas of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) insisted it was wrong to write-off the peace process aimed at ending a three-decade insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

"The peace process right now is going through a deep crisis," Demirtas told AFP in an interview at his party's Ankara headquarters.

"But to say the process is over is against the spirit of peace. Peace will come sooner or later."

Demirtas said the "weapons must be silenced" by both sides immediately so that conditions can be created for a return to talks.

A spiral of violence sparked by a suicide bombing last week blamed on the Islamic State group in the town of Suruc on the Syrian border that killed 32 activists prompted retaliation from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which accuses Turkey of collaborating with the jihadists.

Since then, Turkish army jets have pounded Kurdish militant targets inside Turkey and in neighbouring northern Iraq.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and its Western allies, had until now largely observed a truce declared by its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in March 2013.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this week it was "not possible" to continue the peace process with the imprisoned Ocalan so long as the PKK was attacking Turkish targets.

Demirtas accused Erdogan of orchestrating the crisis in the hope of bolstering his own powers after the ruling party's lacklustre performance in June 7 legislative elections when it lost its overall majority.

He told AFP that the military operations were a manoeuvre to oust his party from parliament in a snap poll and impose effective one-party government.

"This war is not waged to protect our country's soil but to protect the future of the Palace," Demirtas said, referring to Erdogan's controversial and costly new presidential palace which has been bitterly criticised by the opposition.