Gul was scheduled to travel to Syria on Sunday for talks on the Iraqi crisis, but the trip was cancelled due to the "busy agenda", he added.

Turkey was greatly alarmed Thursday when US-backed Kurdish fighters captured the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

While the United States pledged to drive them out of the town, Kurdish forces on Friday moved into the second main city of Mosul.

Turkey had threatened military action if Iraqi Kurds seized Mosul or Kirkuk, a move which could give them control of the region's lucrative oil resources.

Turkey fears that oil revenues could encourage the Kurds to declare independence and set an example for Ankara's own restive Kurdish community in southeastern Anatolia.

SPACE.WIRE