"The cabinet in a meeting today expressed its rejection and condemnation of the Turkish military incursion which is considered a violation of Iraq's sovereignty," said a government statement issued by spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier defended the military offensive launched last Thursday against Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq, amid US and Iraqi calls for troops to be withdrawn as soon as possible.

But Dabbagh said the Turkish "unilateral military action was unacceptable and it threatened the good relations between the two neighbouring countries."

He said Baghdad was however keen to help Ankara against the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey since 1984.

"The cabinet honestly wishes to cooperate with Turkey to stop this threat from the PKK that Turkey and Iraq face," Dabbagh said.

He reiterated that Baghdad would not allow any group to use its soil as a base for cross-border attacks.