A statement by Turkey’s armed forces General Staff denied any foreign influence on the decision, which came a day after US President George W Bush urged a swift end to offensive.

“There was no question of completely liquidating the terrorist organisation, but Turkey has shown the organisation that northern Iraq is not a safe haven for them,” the General Staff said.

Turkey sent thousands of soldiers into mountainous northern Iraq on February 21 to crush rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). “It was determined that the aims set at the start of the operation had been achieved,” the General Staff said in a statement. “Our units returned to their bases (in Turkey) on the morning of February 29.”

Announcing the withdrawal ahead of the General Staff, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said in Baghdad that his government welcomed the move.

Turkey’s political and military leaders had pledged the operation would continue for as long as necessary but US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, on a brief trip to Ankara on Thursday, urged a short and carefully targeted campaign.

Washington, like Ankara and the EU, brands the PKK a terrorist organisation, and has been supplying intelligence to the Turkish military on the PKK in Iraq.

Turkey’s military said it had killed 240 rebels in the eight-day ground offensive and suffered the loss of 27 soldiers. The PKK said it has killed more than 130 Turkish troops but only five rebels had died. It was not possible to verify the figures.

Turkey had said the ground operation, backed by warplanes, tanks, long-range artillery and attack helicopters, would continue until PKK bases were erased.