Turkish soldiers freed after diplomatic push

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Turkish soldiers freed after diplomatic push
04 Nov 2007 11:05:00 GMT

By Selcuk Gokoluk

ANKARA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Eight Turkish soldiers, kidnapped
last month by Kurdish guerrillas, were released in northern
Iraq on Sunday in a move which could ease public pressure on
Turkey's government to launch a major cross-border incursion.

The release of the soldiers came a day after the Iraqi
government vowed to hunt down Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK) militants responsible for cross-border raids into Turkey,
in an effort to avert a Turkish military response.

Washington has urged NATO-ally Turkey not to carry out a
major offensive, fearing it could destabilise northern Iraq
and escalate into a bigger regional crisis.

-snip-

"The eight soldiers in question returned (to) the Turkish
Armed Forces on Nov 4," the chief of staff said on its Web
site.

-snip-

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