Iran handed over to Turkey seven members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a terrorist group largely based in northern Iraq. They had been in Iranian custody since March 2003. Colonel Vali Salehi, a border guards commander, said: "Iran does not allow these individuals to penetrate its territory. To intensify the fight against the PKK three new posts have been set up along the country's border with Turkey. But, he criticized Ankara for not doing enough to fight against Iranian opposition groups operating in Turkey.

The PKK recently said it was dissolving itself in order to establish a new group, called the Kurdistan People's Congress. Turkey swiftly dismissed the move as a mere name change and the United States joined Ankara in proclaiming that the new group would also be considered as terrorists. The Deputy Chief of Turkey's General Staff, General Ilker Basbug, said last week that Turkey and the United States were drafting a plan to fight the PKK based in northern Iraq.