Iraqi government has denounced Turkey's incursion into the country's northern region, saying it is a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.

"The cabinet in a meeting today expressed its rejection and condemnation of the Turkish military incursion which is considered a violation of Iraq's sovereignty," said a government statement issued by spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh on Tuesday.

"The Cabinet calls on Turkey to withdraw its troops immediately and stop military interference", al-Dabbagh added.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, defended the military offensive against PKK bases in northern Iraq.

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Ankara has massed tens of thousands of troops along its frontier with Iraq and has carried out several small-scale cross-border commando operations and aerial bombing raids against the PKK.

The PKK has been fighting for self-rule in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast since 1984 in a conflict that has claimed more than 37,000 lives.