"According to information we have, between 3,500 and 3,800 terrorists take shelter in camps in northern Iraq, meeting their logistical needs and obtaining explosives and ammunition in this region," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told a conference in Istanbul.

"It is regrettable that... the Iraqi authorities make no effort at all to prevent the activities of the PKK on their soil," he said.

The Turkish army has called for a cross-border operation into northern Iraq to destroy camps of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which, it says, are tolerated and even supported by Iraqi Kurds who run the region.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Ankara and much of the international community, has notably stepped up attacks in Turkey this year.

Facing general elections on July 22, the government is under mounting public pressure to toughen its stance against Iraq.

But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday signalled opposition to a cross-border operation, saying Ankara would focus on fighting the PKK inside Turkey and seek dialogue with Baghdad.

"We expect the Iraqi government to control its borders. If it is unable to do that, the coalition forces should do it. If this does not happen either, then they should cooperate with those who can resolve the problem," Gul said.

According to media reports, Ankara wants to set up a 15-kilometer (10-mile) wide security belt on the Iraqi side of the border to stop PKK militants from infiltrating Turkey.

"Turkey has no territorial ambitions against any country... But the Turkish government is determined to take all measures to ensure the security of its people (who)...as any other people, have the right to live free of the threat of terrorism," Gul said.

Gul said anti-PKK operations in Turkey last year resulted in the seizure of two tonnes of plastic explosives originating from Iraq.

Washington is opposed to Turkish military action in northern Iraq, wary that it would destabilise a relatively peaceful region of the conflict-torn country and further strain the tense ties between Ankara and the Iraqi Kurds, a staunch US ally.

It has promised to counter the PKK through non-military means such as cutting off its financial channels, but Ankara remains unsatisfied.