Last month, Ankara threatened military action if cross-border attacks by militants from the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) did not cease.

"I have personally intervened on the issue of the PKK and I called the Turkish envoy and assured him the Iraqi government is serious about stopping the use of Iraqi land by armed groups against neighboring countries," said Talabani, himself a Kurd, in a press conference about security matters.

"Iraqi will do its utmost to stop the PKK from using Iraqi land against Turkey," he said, adding that he had already closed some offices for pro-PKK groups.

Talabani said that he expected a trilateral meeting with Turkey and the US on the issue soon.

The announcement comes after Ankara dramatically moderated its tone on the issue, apparently in response to Talabani's phone call.

"Iraq has recently given us information about the measures it foresees to stop the activities of the PKK terrorist organization in Iraq," foreign ministry spokesman Namik Tan told a press conference in Ankara on Wednesday.

Turkey says the PKK, listed as a terrorist group by both Ankara and Washington, uses northern Iraq as a springboard for attacks on Turkish territory and enjoys unrestricted movement in the Kurdish-run region where it easily obtains weapons and explosives.

Ankara, Tan said, wants to increase cooperation with both Washington and Baghdad against the PKK, which has notably stepped up violence in Turkey over the past year.

The United States has warned Turkey against unilateral cross-border action, urging its NATO ally to seek coordinated efforts against the PKK with Washington and Baghdad.

Thousands of PKK militants have moved to northern Iraq since 1999, when the group declared a unilateral ceasefire after the capture of its leader Abdullah Ocalan, now serving a life sentence for treason.

The truce was called off in June 2004 and at least 94 PKK rebels and 58 members of the security forces have been killed this year, according to an AFP count.

Kurdish militants have also claimed responsibility for 11 bomb attacks in urban centres across Turkey this year, in which nine people were killed and nearly 140 injured.