Turkey denied Friday Iraqi allegations that military air strikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) hideouts in northern Iraq targeted civilians.

"No civilians were killed in operations," a senior Turkish diplomat said.

Turkey summoned Thursday Iraq's ambassador to the foreign ministry to convey its concerns over claims that a family of seven was killed in military operations, said the diplomat who wished to remain anonymous, calling the allegations a "PKK game."

The Turkish military launched a probe into the allegations and found out that no civilians were targeted, he said.

In a televised interview late Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu warned the Iraqi government "we'll carry out necessary operations unless the Iraqi territory is cleared of terrorist elements."

Iraq summoned Turkey's ambassador earlier this week to demand an immediate end to Ankara's air strikes against PKK bases in northern Iraq that targeted innocent civilians, said a statement.

The Turkish military said on Tuesday its air attacks had killed some 100 Kurdish rebels.

Ankara's renewed campaign followed a PKK attack that killed nine security personnel in southeast Turkey.

Since early July, PKK attacks in Turkey have left around 40 soldiers and policemen dead, prompting Ankara to toughen its stance in the conflict.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international community, took up arms in Kurdish-majority southeast Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed about 45,000 lives.

Tweet

Related Links News From Across The Stans