Zebari was in Brussels to meet European Union officials in view of forging a trade and cooperation agreement between his country and the 27-member bloc.

Speaking ahead of a meeting planned for later on Tuesday with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Zebari said his government was "working closely with Turkey" to find "a reasonable solution" to the crisis.

Last week, Turkish tanks were seen moving towards the northern Iraqi borders to hunt down PKK militants while there were reports, later denied by Turkey, that Turkish warplanes have been carrying out air raids targeting villages south of the Turkish border in response to attacks that have killed a number of Turkish soldiers over the past weeks.

Zebari said that while problems remained, "the chances of a major invasion are less now."

The foreign minister said his government was engaged in ongoing dialogue with Turkey to avoid a full-scale invasion that would destabilise the region.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday urged the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to "take the appropriate measures to ensure respect for the Turkish border and guarantee that the Iraqi territory is not used for violent actions against its neighbours."

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