Turkey deploys troops along its border with Iraq

According to Kurdish opposition sources, thousands of Turkish troops are gathering in positions near the Iraqi border. They added that the Turkish military formation was taking place in the Kurdish areas of southeastern Turkey.

The sources also identified the Turkish forces deployed near the Iraqi border as units of two commando brigades, Bolu and Kayseri.

The commando forces were seen in the Cukurca district of Hakkari, the sources said, adding that more than 10,000 troops have been deployed in Cukurca.

Information on the troop deployment was relayed by the Turkish Gendarmerie Command to forces in the district.

"It was learned that these preparations are being carried out within the framework of an operation against south Kurdistan [northern Iraq]," the Copenhagen-based Kurdish television Roj, reported on April 26.

On May 1, the Kurdish Workers Party claimed responsibility for an explosion that struck western Turkish resort town of Kusdasi.

Saying that the party also planted bombs in Istanbul, the Kurdish Liberation Hawks, a PKK wing, warned Westerners to leave Turkey.

Turkey has been warning it would not tolerate the presence of the PKK in northern Iraq.

At least 5,000 PKK fighters were said to have been operating along the northern border.

''It is apparent that the issue of security has become a matter of concern for Iraq's neighbors," said Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

According to Roj television, the Bolu Commando Brigade, deployed in the Lice district of Diyarbakir, has been planning to carry out attacks in northern Iraq. The Television also cited such Iraqi targets as Akdag, Andok, Dorse, Saggoze and Senyayla regions.

Earlier this week, foreign ministers of Iraq's neighboring countries; Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Iran, Turkey and Egypt, pledged to boost border security and exchanging intelligence with the country's newly formed government.

Iraq neighbors, including Syria and Iran, also agreed to hold a meeting of their interior ministers in Turkey soon to discuss means to better monitor their borders.

Syria has announced to restore its diplomatic ties with Iraq after a break of more than two decades.

Iraq's neighbors have repeatedly expressed their worries over the violence and ethnic instability in Iraq. They fear that the unrest in Iraq could spread throughout the region.

The region’s security was one of the main topics opened of discussion during the neighbouring countries' meeting, held at a former Ottoman palace overlooking the Bosporus.

In their final communique, the neighbors "expressed their determination ... to increase their cooperation on the overall border security with Iraq ... including ... exchange of intelligence with Iraq."