The Turkish military announced on Friday that it had ended a eight-day ground offensive against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels in the mountainous regions of northern Iraq.

Turkey's withdrawal "bolsters the credibility of the Turkish government when it said that military operations would be limited and temporary," said Talabani, an ethnic Kurd.

Talabani also said he was looking forward to an invitation from his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul to discuss with him and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan economic and political ties between Iraq and Turkey, and "to achieve their aims in defeating the terrorists and ending violent actions."

The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international community, has waged an armed campaign in Kurdish-majority southeast Turkey since 1984.

Ankara charges that an estimated 4,000 PKK rebels have found refuge in northern Iraq.

Separately Massoud Barzani, president of the autonomous region of Kurdistan, urged the PKK and Turkey to halt all military action.

Barzani also said that he was ready to work with both sides to "search for a peaceful solution" to the PKK's grievances in Turkey.

"We are not part of this armed dispute," said Barzani. "Turkey must find a solution to it within Turkey."