Turkish premier signals joint operation with Iran

Turkeys prime minister on Sunday signaled a joint military offensive with Iran against their common enemy: Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.Turkey and Iran were working together and determined, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.There is no question of any postponement, Erdogan said in a clear reference to a possible joint military operation against the main Kurdish rebel base on Qandil Mountain which sits on the Iraqi-Iranian border deep inside northern Iraq.I regret to say this but there will be a price for it, Erdogan said, apparently referring to possible military losses in a cross-border offensive.A wing of the Kurdish rebel group, which is waging a war for autonomy in Turkeys southeast, is also fighting against Tehran from Qandil.Kurdish rebels have dramatically escalated their attacks in Turkey since July, killing dozens of security personnel and at least 10 civilians including three people in a car bombing in the Turkish capital last week.On Saturday, the rebels attacked a Turkish army outpost, killing six soldiers and wounding 11 in the countrys southeast, authorities said. Three rebels also were killed in the ensuing clash near the town of Pervari in Siirt province.The attacks came after Turkish warplanes started to bomb suspected Kurdish rebel hideouts in neighboring northern Iraq in mid-August in response to the surge in rebel violence.The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people alone in Turkey since the rebels took up arms in 1984.