London ? Hundreds of Iraqi Kurds gathered Friday near Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office to protest a possible Turkish deployment of troops in their lands if there is a war against Iraq.

Tensions have been escalating between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds, who live in an autonomous zone in Iraq. Both groups would be allies in a war to depose Saddam Hussein.

Protesters submitted a letter to Blair’s office urging him to persuade Turkey not to enter northern Iraq and to press the United States not to make any deals with Turkey.

They chanted, “Death to Saddam,” in Kurdish and “No to Turkish invasion.”

They also carried placards, one of which read, “No more Halabja,” referring to the town in Iraqi Kurdistan that Saddam’s forces attacked with nerve gas in 1988, killing thousands of Kurds.

Other placards cut in the shape of missiles read, “Turkey.”

Thousands of Iraqi Kurds protest possible Turkish intervention in the event of war with Iraq, in Aqra city, northern Iraq, an area controlled by Kurdistan Democratic Party. The protest Tuesday was one of several recent demonstrations by Kurds.

“Turkey has no right by international law to invade Kurdistan,” said Nazaneen Rashid, leader of the Kurdish Action Committee, while waving a small Kurdish flag.

Rashid said the Kurds were being betrayed again.

“They are going to use us like Saddam used the Kurds like mice in his labs. I want to shout, but can’t make myself heard by (President) Bush. Our mountains are our only true friends,” she said.

New York-based Human Rights Watch also has voiced concern. A group report cited “gross violations” committed during Turkey’s 15-year conflict with the Kurdish Workers’ Party in southeastern Turkey.