Baghdad has called for "urgent negotiations" with Turkey after Ankara threatened to intervene in neighbouring Iraq to eliminate Kurdish rebels. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has called an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss the crisis.
"The Iraqi government calls on the Turkish government to hold urgent talks," said Mr Maliki's spokesman.
But Turkey has said its patience has run out over the handling of Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq.
Turkey is seeking parliamentary permission for a cross-border operation to hunt down Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) members. Ankara says the group is a terrorist organisation responsible for the deaths of at least 15 Turkish soldiers in the past two weeks, and says the group enjoys free movement in northern Iraq.
Iraqi Vice-President Tareq Hashemi has arrived in Ankara in an attempt to dissuade Turkey from staging a cross-border offensive.
'Multiple operations'
Turkey hopes it will not be forced to resort to military action, even if its motion gained approval in parliament, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said.
"I sincerely wish that this motion will never be applied," said Mr Erdogan in televised comments. "Passage of this motion does not mean an immediate incursion will follow."
Mr Erdogan's AK Party, which has a parliamentary majority, is expected to vote in favour of the motion on Wednesday. If passed, the vote will authorise cross-border operations for one year with the government deciding on the timing, scope and frequency of any incursions.
Mr Erdogan called on the regional administration in northern Iraq to crack down on the rebels, saying it should "build a thick wall between itself and terrorist organisations".
He added that any military operation would respect Iraq's territorial integrity and only target the rebels.
Iraq signed a counter-terrorism pact with Turkey last month, but opposes any military incursion into its territory. The US has also warned Ankara against ordering any incursions into Iraq.
(BBC News)