'Dozens' of Kurdish rebels killed

Forty-two members of the Kurdish rebel PKK have been killed by Turkish forces in the past week, the army says.

General Metin Gurak said intelligence reports indicated that "25 terrorists were neutralised in the 17 October air raid" on Qandil in northern Iraq.

A further 17 PKK rebels were killed in security operations inside Turkey in the past week, Gen Gurak said.

The Turkish government has intensified its campaign against the PKK, which has stepped up its attacks in Turkey.

Three weeks ago the separatist group killed 17 soldiers in an attack on a Turkish military outpost on the Iraqi border.

Turkish artillery and air raids into northern Iraq, where the PKK is based, have become more regular events.

The PKK did not respond to the army's most recent claims. A news agency close to the rebels said at the time that the 17 October air raid had killed four militants.

Gen Gurak said Turkish military units had repelled two major rebel attacks this week, from across the Iraqi or Iranian borders.

He also urged calm after a week of violent protests in the mainly Kurdish south-east of Turkey.

Unrest broke out amid rumours that the PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan had been mistreated in prison - claims strongly denied by the government.