Turk envoy tells Iraq no timetable for troop pullout

Turkey declined to give Iraq a timetable for withdrawal of troops fighting Kurdish guerrillas yesterday, resisting pressure from the United States and other allies for a quick resolution.

Turkey's military General Staff said another 77 Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels had been killed in heavy fighting since Tuesday night, taking the death toll among the rebels to 230 since Turkey's offensive in northern Iraq began a week ago.

"Our objective is clear, our mission is clear and there is no timetable until... those terrorist bases are eliminated," Turkish envoy Ahmet Davutoglu told a news conference after talks in Baghdad with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari.