ANKARA, Oct 19 (AFP) Turkey, a key US ally, will continue to maintain soldiers in neighbouring northern Iraq where it suspects local Kurdish groups of aiming to set up an independent state, Turkey's Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said on Saturday.

"Our interest and presence in northern Iraq will continue," Gurel told reporters in the western city of Afyon, where he was attending a conference, the Anatolia news agency reported.

"We will also take additional measures if there is any need," he added.

Gurel's comments came against the backdrop of Turkish newspaper reports on Saturday that up to 12,000 Turkish soldiers had crossed over into northern Iraq.

The general staff swiftly denied the reports as "completely baseless".

Turkey has only recently acknowledged in military presence in northern Iraq, which has been run by two Kurdish factions since it was wrenched out of the Iraqi central government's control after the 1991 Gulf War.

Turkish officials suspect the local Kurdish chiefs of wanting to set up an independent state, and have threatened military action if such a state is proclaimed in the area.

Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel on Saturday warned Barzani and PUK leader Jalal Talabani to "heed our warnings" on any moves to set up a new ethnic state in the Middle East.

"Those (Iraqi Kurd) communities' welfare and security have until now been under Turkey's safeguard. If they want it to continue like this, then they need to behave accordingly," Gurel said, in comments broadcast by Turkey's NTV television.