Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept.29 / Trend, A. Taghiyeva /
Turkey considers launching a ground raid in northern Iraq, and if the country's security forces decide that ground raid is necessary, the authorities will take appropriate action, Anadolu news agency quotes the Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz as telling journalists on Thursday.
Yilmaz said that Turkey will continue to combat terrorism until terror is completely eliminated in the country.
Air strikes were conducted after a militant terror attack in southeastern Turkey on Aug. 17, in which nine Turkish servicemen were killed.
These were the first strikes by Turkey in northern Iraq in more than a year.
The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has continued for more than 25 years, claiming over 40,000 lives. The PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by both the UN and the EU.
PKK militants have previously threatened Turkish authorities with intensified armed conflict if concrete steps are not taken to address long-term Kurdish problem.