Turkey's defense minister said Wednesday that his country will take whatever actions are necessary to fight Kurdish rebels.

Asked about Turkey's alleged preparations to attack Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, Ismet Yilmaz said whatever is necessary to fight terrorism will be done.

Turkish Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin said Tuesday that discussions with Iraq are underway regarding a land operation against the rebels, saying an offensive could be launched “at any time.”

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has escalated attacks against Turkish targets in recent weeks. On Sunday, Kurdish rebels attacked multiple police facilities in southeastern Turkey, killing at least five people.

Meanwhile, Turkish forces have already increased their airstrikes against suspected rebel bases in northern Iraq. Last month, Turkey's military said it killed as many as 160 Kurdish rebels in air and artillery strikes across the border.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Ankara's “patience is running out” with the rebels, who have waged a campaign for autonomy in the country's largely Kurdish southeast since 1984. The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people.