Turkey will pay reparations to the families of Kurdish villagers killed in air strikes near the Iraqi border, but will not apologize officially, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said Monday.

"The reparations will be paid in a couple of days," Arinc said in televised remarks after a cabinet meeting. However, the government would not "officially" apologize for the killings, Arinc said.

"It would be a very negative expectation (that we) apologise officially."

Arinc said the killings had not been intentional, but a probe of possible negligence was under way.

"It is absolutely out of question that the incident was intentional. However, although it was not intentional, examinations are ongoing about any possible negligence," he said.