BBC News Online: World: Europe

Turkish army rebel threat reduced

An army spokesman in Turkey says the military believes it's reduced the threat from the Kurdish rebel movement, the PKK, to a manageable level.

The spokesman, Colonel Husnu Dag, said the government should now launch an investment programme in eastern Turkey to help restore public confidence there.

The BBC correspondent in Turkey says there's no doubt that the PKK has lost ground recently.

But he says the army has often trumpetted the imminent demise of the PKK in the past, only for the rebel group to re-organise.

And our correspondent adds that the Turkish army has a long way to go to win the hearts and minds of the people in the Kurdish areas.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service