"We call upon the PKK to eliminate violence and armed struggle as a mode of operation," said a sternly worded four-point statement issued by the office of Massud Barzani, president of the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq.

"We do not accept in any way, based on our commitment to the Iraqi constitution, the use of Iraqi territories, including the territories of the Kurdistan region, as a base to threaten the security of neighbouring countries."

The statement, issued after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Tuesday ordered a crackdown on PKK offices, said the Kurdish government opposed the use of violence as a "doctrine" and method to achieve political objectives.

"We condemn all terrorist activities from any party because the people of Kurdistan itself are victims of terrorism," the Kurdish presidency said.

It called upon the PKK to adhere to its ceasefire call and not "resort to armed operations."

The PKK, which has been fighting for a self-rule in southeastern Turkey since 1984, has offered a conditional ceasefire if Ankara drops plans to launch a military incursion into northern Iraq to flush out the rebels.

"We have always struggled for the sake of peace, democracy, development and stability for our people and peoples of the region. We are in fact in a bitter and continued state of struggle against terrorism," the statement said.

The presidency declared the four-point statement to be the firm policy of "the people of Kurdistan."

"We reiterate that we endeavour to build friendly relations with the people of the region and we share a commitment to good neighbourly relations with all," it added.

"We have always called for peace and security and we believe that the outstanding problems can be solved only through dialogue and understanding."

On Tuesday after meeting visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan Maliki ordered that offices of the PKK be closed, saying the rebel group was a "bad terrorist organisation."

The PKK largely operates clandestinely through local social groups in the three northern Iraqi Kurdish provinces of Sulaimaniyah, Arbil and Dohuk.

Wednesday's statement from Barzani's office is a meltdown from his hardline position of a few days ago.

On Sunday, both Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, also a Kurd, had expressed an inability to hand over rebel leaders present in northern Iraq to Turkey.

Barzani also said the Kurdish administration will "defend" its land in the event of an attack by Ankara.

Babacan, meanwhile, used his high-profile visit to reassure Iraq that Turkey wants a diplomatic solution to the problem of Kurdish rebel bases.

"Politics, dialogue, diplomacy, culture and economy are the measures to deal with this crisis," the Turkish minister said in Baghdad.

"We do not want to sacrifice our cultural and economic relations with Iraq for the sake of a terror organisation," he said, referring to the PKK.

But Babacan also rejected the truce offer made by the PKK.

On Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintained during a visit to London that Ankara had still not ruled out military action, which was sanctioned by parliament last week.

Erdogan had also raised the possibility of joint action with the United States against PKK bases inside Iraq.

Washington downplayed the talk of joint military operations but said it may provide Turkey with intelligence to help its armed forces strike Kurdish rebels based in Iraq.

The United States, which uses the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey to supply its forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, fears that any unilateral military action by Turkey could wreck efforts to stabilise Iraq.