Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday visited the disputed north Iraq city of Kirkuk, which is controlled by Baghdad but also claimed by the autonomous Kurdistan region.

His visit comes a day after Davutoglu visited Kurdistan and met the region's president, Massud Barzani, for talks that focused on the conflict in Syria, and at a time of notably cool relations between Baghdad and Ankara.

Davutoglu met Kirkuk province officials during a rare visit by a high-ranking Turkish official to the city amid tight security, according to an AFP journalist.

"We see Kirkuk as rich in its resources and diversity, so it will be one of the leading cities in the Middle East, and we as Turks are ready to serve Kirkuk and Iraq," Davutoglu told journalists.

Kurdistan wants to incorporate the city and eponymous oil-rich province into its autonomous region despite Baghdad's strong objections. It is part of a swathe of disputed territory in north Iraq that along with oil contracts are the two main points of contention between Baghdad and Arbil.

Relations between Iraq and Turkey have been chilly of late, with disputes over issues including Kurdistan exporting oil without Baghdad's approval to its neighbour to the north.

Davutoglu met Barzani on Wednesday.

"The situation in Syria is dangerous and catastrophic, and the behaviour of the Syrian regime and its policies of creating a sectarian and ethnic conflict are on the rise, and developments in Syria represent a threat to regional stability and security," a statement on the meeting on Barzani's website said.

The two sides agreed to cooperate on efforts "to help the Syrian people to achieve their legitimate aspirations for a free and diverse democratic Syria," it said.

It also said that "we will look into any attempt to exploit the gap in power by any extremist group or organisation, and something like this represents a future threat and should be solved by mutual coordination.

"The new Syria should be free of extremist and terrorist groups and organisations."

Turkey has expressed concern about the possible presence in Syria of groups including Al-Qaeda and Turkish foe the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which took up arms in Kurdish-majority southeastern Turkey in 1984, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives.