-Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Iraqi government on Wednesday of trying to drag the country into civil war, amid rising tensions between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdish forces.

"The (Baghdad) regime wants to lead this (country) into a civil war," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara before he left for Pakistan.



His comments came after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki issued a warning to Kurdish forces in the autonomous Kurdistan region in the north not to advance towards government troop positions.



Iraq and Turkey have been at odds over several issues, including the Syrian conflict, also angering Iraq has been Turkey's refusal to extradite fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who has been handed four death sentences by a Baghdad court on charges of running a death squad.



Earlier this month, Iraq blocked Turkish national energy firm TPAO from bidding for an oil exploration contract, a decision Erdogan said was not "smart business," and accused Baghdad of acting "childishly".