Tension remains high on the Turkish-Iraqi border following the killing of 17 Turkish troops by Kurdish militants over the weekend. Turkey has been threatening to invade northern Iraq for days, and on Monday Turkish troops shelled 11 towns across the Iraq border. The Guardian newspaper reports dozens of Turkish military vehicles loaded with soldiers and heavy weapons are heading toward the Iraq border. Kurdish fighters with the PKK have offered a ceasefire if Turkey abandons plans to launch cross-border raids, but Turkey has refused to negotiate with the PKK, which it considers to be a terrorist organization. Sunday’s attack on the Turkish troops came just days after the Turkish parliament gave the green light for the country’s forces to invade Iraq. In Baghdad, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani urged Turkey to show restraint.

Jalal Talabani: “America is trying to delay the attack, and the PKK has taken a wise move and said that they will announce a ceasefire this evening. They will also withdraw their units from the conflict area with the Turkish army, and God willing, peace and stability will prevail in the region.”

Talabani also demanded that the PKK disarm and commit itself to peaceful politics, or else get out of Iraq. In Washington, White House spokesperson Tony Fratto said the Kurdish militants must stop its attacks inside Turkey.

Tony Fratto: “I think we are all unified — the Turks, the United States, the Iraqi government — in asking the PKK — not asking the PKK, but addressing the situation with the PKK, to stop these attacks on the Turkish people and the Turkish army. It’s a unified position. We want to see swift action, and we want these attacks to stop.”

Earlier today, Turkey and Iraq agreed to work together to deal with the Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq.