ANKARA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Northern Iraq's two main Kurdish factions on Wednesday denied any aim to establish an independent state in the breakaway region they run and said they were committed to a unified Iraq.

The rival Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have said they oppose Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime but are committed to a unified Iraq and are wary of Washington's "war on terror" spreading to Iraq.

A joint statement faxed to Reuters said speculation had increased about "the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq in the event of a U.S. military action against Baghdad."

"Furthermore Kurdish parties are accused of harbouring such plans," the statement said.

"Both the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, as the two main political groups in Iraqi Kurdistan, vehemently deny these unfounded and provocative accusations," the statement said.

"We are advocating for the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq with a democratic and a federal solution to the Kurdish question," it said.

The KDP and PUK were especially sensitive to Turkey's concerns about any upheaval in Iraq, the statement said.

Turkey fears strikes on Iraq for its refusal to allow U.N. weapons inspectors to return could lead to an uprising against Saddam by Iraqi Kurds and, in turn, spark turmoil among its own restive Kurds.

Separatist Kurdish rebels have waged a 17-year-long campaign for self-rule in the Turkish region bordering Iraq. The violence has claimed more than 30,000 lives but has dropped off sharply since the 1999 capture of rebel commander Abdullah Ocalan.

The PUK and KDP have administered the Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq since wresting control from Baghdad in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War. U.S. warplanes flying from an airbase in southern Turkey have protected the factions with patrols of a no-fly zone over the region.

Turkey also served as a launching pad for attacks on Iraq during the Gulf War. Analysts have said Turkish support could be crucial if the Bush administration decides to target Iraq.
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Kurdish groups deny planning push for state in Iraq if US strikes 

ANKARA, Jan 16 (AFP) - - The two main Kurdish factions controlling northern Iraq since the Gulf War said Wednesday they would not push for an independent Kurdish state in the region if the United States struck Baghdad.
In a joint statement, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), "vehemently" denied as "unfounded and provocative accusations" suggestions that a possible US strike on Iraq could result in the emergence of a Kurdish state in the north.

"We are advocating the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq with a democratic and a federal solution to the Kurdish question," they said.

The statement also said the two groups were aware of the "legitimate concerns of the neighboring countries and those of Turkey in particular."

The statement coincided with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's visit to Washington, where Iraq issue was expected to be high on the agenda of his talks with President George W. Bush later Wednesday.

Turkey, a key Muslim ally of the United States in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, is opposed to a strike against Iraq, fearing that regional turmoil could result in the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq, which has been outside Baghdad's control since the 1991 Gulf War.

Such a state could fan separatist sentiment in neighboring southeast Turkey, where a 15-year Kurdish rebellion has just recently subdued.

Amid intense speculation that Iraq will be the next US target, Washington began mediating last month long-running disputes between the PUK and the KDP, led respectively by Jalal Talabani and Massoud Barzani.

The United States has long sought to unite the Iraqi opposition -- including the PUK and KDP -- in order to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but has had little success so far.

Iraqi Kurds rose up against Baghdad after the Gulf War, leaving the three provinces of Arbil, Suleimaniyeh and Dahuk outside Baghdad's control.

US and British planes, based in southern Turkey, have since enforced a no-fly zone over northern Iraq with the stated aim of protecting the Kurds.