General Hursit Tolon, the commander of the Turkish First Army, on Sunday criticised those counties who had spoken out against the suggestion Turkey could stage a cross border military action into northern Iraq to strike at Kurdish terrorist based in the region.

Tolon said that Turkey had a legitimate right to self defence, and this included the right to conduct military operations against the terrorist group the PKK and its camps in the north of Iraq.

There was also a double standard applied to Turkey by some other countries when it came to terrorism, the General said. “Those who spill their blood are terrorists those who hurt our lives are militia,” he said. “Do you see international justice, equality before law and double standards?”