ANKARA, March 3 (Reuters) - The head of Turkey's military General Staff said on Monday further land operations against Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq could be launched if necessary.

"As needed, land operations will continue after this," General Yasar Buyukanit told reporters in a briefing.

Turkey pulled its troops out of northern Iraq on Friday, ending a major offensive against Kurdish PKK rebels that Washington had feared might destabilise the wider region.

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