The United States Sunday praised the Iraqi government for helping to secure the release of eight Turkish soldiers abducted by Kurdish rebels two weeks ago during a battle that heightened tensions along the Iraq-Turkey border.

Participants of an international conference discussing Iraq in Ä°stanbul condemned terrorism and said Iraqi territory should not be used for terrorist attacks on other countries.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan suggested yesterday that Turkey might impose economic sanctions to force Iraqi Kurds to crack down on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — which has bases in Iraq’s Kurdish-run north — saying Turkey’s developing economy is a part of its political and diplomatic might.