LONDON, July 28 (AFP) - 3h42 - Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday threatened to take action against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq unless US-led forces intervene to stop them from crossing the border.Speaking in an interview published in The Times newspaper, the 51-year-old leader said Turkey was committed to fighting terrorism, but also expected help from its allies in a struggle against fighters from the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which has some 3,000 militants based in northern Iraq.

"Turkey has sent troops to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism," said Erdogan, speaking during a trip to London on Wednesday to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"We are a country ready to take an active part in the fight against terrorism," he said.

Turning to problems at home, Erdogan indicated that his patience was wearing thin as Kurdish rebels infiltrate the border between Turkey and Iraq.

The PKK, which wants a breakaway Kurdish state, is accused of a wave of recent bombings in Turkey including a bomb attack in the popular seaside resort of Kusadasi earlier this month which killed five people.

"At the moment, frankly speaking, we do not see the efforts by the US that we expect to see. We have expressed our views to that effect to the Americans," Erdogan said. "There is a time limit. There is a limit to our tolerance."

The PKK is branded a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, while Washington has also pledged to monitor its operations more intensely, but the Turkish premier said he wanted more action.

US-led forces, however, have only a very slim presence in the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq as they concentrate on fighting an intense insurgency closer to Baghdad.

In addition, the Iraqi government -- which has several Kurds in senior posts -- has warned Turkey against sending its forces across the border, The Times said, while noting that Erdogan insisted his country was within its rights under international law to defend itself from attack.

Drawing a comparison with US action against Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks, he said, "That mandate is provided for in international law.

"If a country, if a people, if a nation are under threat, that country can do what is necessary under international law. I do not need to name any countries by name, but we would exercise that right in the same way as any other country could, would and did exercise that right."