Visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Turkey that the United States wants Iraq to remain whole as reaction to Turkey's concerns over the future of neighbouring Iraq.

Rice said in an interview with Turkish television that the Kirkuk issue is an interior Iraq affair and should be handled by the Iraqis. But she stressed that Washington is committed to preserving a unified Iraq in which the rights of all Iraqis are represented and respected.

The northern oil city of Kirkuk is a mixed region, containing Kurds, Turkish people and Arabs.

The Turkish government has repeatedly claimed that the Kurds in Kirkuk and surrounding areas are forging their registration documents, which seriously impacts the regions' stability.

The Turkish government has warned that if Kirkuk fails to maintain stability and safety, the government won't ignore the interests of those Turkish people living there.