"We received support from Nuri al-Maliki's government and the Kurdistan regional government against the PKK," Erdogan told reporters during a joint news conference with Maliki.

"The PKK is a threat not only to Iraq and Turkey but to the whole region. We don't allow such organisations to poison the relations between the two countries," he said.

"There is a joint understanding concerning this issue. There is a joint will to remove the organisation."