The statement also criticized the cross-border operation by Turkish grounds troops hunting PKK terrorists in northern Iraq on Tuesday.

“We condemn all terror attacks targeting civilians and soldiers and offer our condolences to the relatives of the victims” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Cemal said. “We hope peaceful means will be preferred for the solution of the problem.”

Referring to the cross-border incursion he added: “As we said in our previous statements there should have been contact with our government before the operation. These type of acts could affect Turkey-Iraq relations in a negative way.”

The PKK conducted its deadliest attack against Turkish security forces in the latest round of violence Sunday when a roadside bomb martyred 16 soldiers in Hakkari province which borders Iraq and Iran. Two days later 13 police officers died in a blast near the Armenian border.

The terrorist group has a number of basesin Iraqi territory controlled by the Kurdish Regional Government. The PKKrenewed its armed campaign in late July after a two-and-a-half year cease-fire in the decades-old Kurdish conflict.