The denial was contained in a statement from the Turkish military.

Britain said on Saturday it is aware that Britain is aware that a small group of Turkish forces has moved into the north of Iraq while Germany warned it may withdraw from .

"We are aware that a small Turkish force has gone into the north of Iraq...The size of that force is consistent with a border policing operation," Hoon told a press conference in London.

On Friday night, some 1,000 Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq in preparation for a larger deployment of Turkish forces to combat the armed Kurds.

In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Defense Minister Peter Struck Saturday jointly warned that Germany would pull its crew members out of NATO surveillance planes patrolling the Turkish airspace if Turkey pours it troops into northern Iraq.

The warning message was announced after the two ministers attended a meeting of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's security cabinet on Friday.

Germany has said the surveillance flights over Turkey are covered by Germany's obligations to defend a NATO ally and would not be used to support a war.

Last month, NATO, after weeks of debate, decided to deploy the surveillance planes to Turkey, along with Patriot anti-missile batteries and equipment to help Turkey to defend attacks of weapons of mass destruction.

So far NATO has given no comment on Turkey's move.

The Turkish troops crossed the Iraqi border from the southeastern town of Cukurca, where the borders of Turkey, Iraq and Iran converge, said the reports.

Earlier, the Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV channel quoted Turkish officials as saying that a group of Turkish vanguard started to cross northern Iraq.

Turkey decided to send its troops into northern Iraq to control refugees and prevent any attempt to create a Kurdish state.

Meanwhile, a large number of Turkish troops are being stationed near the town of Silopi, 7 km away from the Iraqi border.

However, US Secretary of State Colin Powell stated at a press conference in Washington earlier Friday that there was no need for Turkey to send troops into northern Iraq.

"We have clearly said to the Turkish government that we think it's best that they do not go over into northern Iraq," Powell said.

The Turkish troop movement came on the same day when it opened its airspace to US warplanes for strikes on Iraq.

"It has been determined that it is in Turkey's interests to open Turkish air space," Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul late Friday told reporters.

The decision to open Turkish air space was adopted at an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Friday evening.

Turkish Parliament approved a motion Thursday evening on over flights of US warplanes and entrance of Turkish armed forces into northern Iraq.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2003)