Parliament debated terrorism in a closed session yesterday during which Interior Minister Beşir Atalay briefed deputies on the latest developments and explained measures the government has taken so far to boost counterterrorism efforts.

At the time Today's Zaman went to print, Parliament was also set to renew the government's mandate to engage in military operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq. The motion was signed by all government ministries last week and sent to Parliament.The motion was first passed in 2007 and has twice been extended, in 2008 and 2009. The current resolution, providing the legal basis for operations into northern Iraq, expires on Oct. 17. The government was asking for a one-year extension. The Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) parliamentary group deputy chairman, Bekir Bozdağ, told Today's Zaman he was hopeful that Parliament would reach a consensus on how to tackle the problem of terrorism. “If the opposition is sincere, it could contribute to the process by actively engaging in the debate. I also hope the government would take into account the concerns raised by other parties,” he said.An overwhelming majority of deputies, except those of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), are in favor of the motion. Bozdağ said the extension of the mandate would send a clear message that Turkey would consider military operations against the PKK's bases in northern Iraq if necessary.Turkey employs a carrot and stick policy when dealing with the Kurdish issue and is determined to combat the terrorist activities staged by the PKK, while offering broader rights to its Kurdish population. “Turkey does not trust the PKK's unilateral cease-fire. If the terrorist organization continues to use the cease-fire as a political instrument, Turkey will not ignore military operations,” Turkish officials said during official talks last week with the Kurdish regional administration in northern Iraq. 13 October 2010, WednesdayTODAY'S ZAMAN  ANKARA