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Turkish PM urges unity in the face of rising Kurdish rebel violence

Türkiye Materials 25 October 2008 18:34 (UTC +04:00)

Turkey's prime minister is urging unity in the face of a surge in Kurdish rebel violence, the Associated Press reported.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a visit to Tunceli Saturday that "our people need to hear the sound of machinery in factories, not guns." The city is in the predominantly Kurdish southeast.

Turkey is seeking help from the Iraqi Kurdish administration and the U.S. military in fighting the rebels who use northern Iraq to stage attacks against Turkey.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, traveled to Turkey and held talks with the Turkish military on Friday about cooperation against the rebels.

Turkey's military will brief the Cabinet on the struggle against the guerrillas on Monday. Military chief Gen. Ilker Basbug will also attend the Cabinet meeting.

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