"Everything has to be done to ensure that this does not become a reality and so there must be caution in the running of military operations," Gul told a press conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

He said that one way of avoiding such a clash would also be to find a solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Gul affirmed that Turkey had not sent troops into northern Iraq and that the military would not intervene unless there were a massive flood of refugees or if the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) used it as a base.

"We don't want Iraq once again to become a base for the PKK and we will not let this happen," he said.

But he said that "Turkey does not have a hidden agenda and supports completely the territorial integrity of Iraq."

Gul also complained about the "big negative impact on the Turkish economy" that rumours about its troop movements in the region had been having.

Turkey has had several thousand soldiers in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq for years in a bid to stop separatist Kurds from sneaking across the border.

SPACE.WIRE