Talabani, a Kurd, has been hospitalised in Amman since Sunday, suffering from exhaustion and dehydration.

"They had a brief conversation. Mr. Talabani said he believed that Turkey and Iraq can work together to quickly overcome their problems," the official told AFP.

Tensions between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds have been running high over the safe haven Turkish Kurd rebels enjoy in the autonomous Kurdish region in neighbouring northern Iraq, led by Massud Barzani.

The Turkish army last month accused Iraqi Kurds of supporting the rebels and providing them with explosives for attacks in Turkey.

Barzani further angered Ankara this week when he said regional countries should accept that Kurds, who also live in Iran and Syria, have a right to independence.

Despite objections from the military, Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul have both said Ankara is open to dialogue with the Iraqi Kurds to mend fences and discuss ways of curbing the rebels, contrary to earlier Turkish threats of a cross-border military operation into the region.