As it was expected yesterday the Turkish parliament has passed the bill extending permission for the Turkish military to mount cross-border operations against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) in northern Iraq during the coming year.

Nothing new there, as the parliament has been passing these bills since 2007. And indeed cross-border operations have been escalating since August.

The ruling AK Party, the CHP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) voted in favor of the motion, while the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) has voted against it.

Speaking at a news conference in Parliament before the start of the voting session, BDP parliamentary group deputy chairman Hasip Kaplan announced that the BDP would say “no” to the cross-border motion.

“As BDP block, we unanimously say no to the war motion. Some of our deputies will make a symbolic appearance in Parliament today, and they will vote against the motion,” Kaplan said.

“The solution to this problem - he added - should be found in Parliament through peaceful and democratic means”.