Turkey moved closer to opening a new front in the Iraq war Monday, as the government asked parliament to approve a cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels.Parliament is widely expected to authorize the Cabinet's motion seeking authorization for a military campaign in northern Iraq. NTV television said a vote will happen Wednesday.
But government spokesman Cemil Cicek indicated the government would not immediately order its troops across the border, possibly to see whether the United States and Iraq attempt to crack down on the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, known by its Kurdish acronym, PKK.
And parliament leaders were reluctant to stage an incursion that could hurt Turkey's standing with the United States. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government twice acquired similar authorizations from parliament in 2003 but did not act on them.
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