Turkey’s Foreign Minister ‘Ali Babacan is in Baghdad on Tuesday for talks with Iraqi officials aimed at averting a Turkish invasion of northern Iraq. The Turkish parliament has given its seal of approval to a government plan to launch incursions into Iraq to wipe out the Kurdistan People’s Party (PKK ) rebels, who Ankara claims are responsible for attacks on Turkish soldiers and civilians. The United States has called on Iraq to do what it can to tackle the PKK, which Washington has listed as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, the PKK has offered a cease-fire conditional on Turkey ending its attacks on PKK positions and pledging not to invade Iraq. Turkey will not comment officially on the offer, because it refuses to recognize the organization.