Asked whether the Turkish army had crossed the border into Iraq to chase down Kurdish rebels, he said: "Up to now, according to our information, there has not been any violation of Iraqi territory in the north."

"If this happens in the future, then Iraq will strive for the non-violation of its borders," Zebari added following a meeting with his Greek counterpart Dora Bakoyannis.

The first senior Iraqi leader to visit Greece since the fall of Saddam Hussein, Zebari said he had raised the issue during a recent visit to Ankara.

"All countries know that they must respect the sovereignty of all other countries," he said.

Zebari also called for the resumption of three-party talks between Iraq, Turkey and the United States on how to combat Kurdish rebels from Turkey which he said were ensconced in the mountains of northern Iraq.

"Greece consistently supports the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq," as well as "the Iraqi government's efforts to re-establish security, which is the foundation of economic development," Bakoyannis said.