BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The European Commission reiterated on Wednesday it hoped Turkey would respect Iraq's territorial integrity, after Turkey's parliament gave its troops permission to enter northern Iraq to fight Kurdish rebels.

"It is crucial that Turkey continues to tackle this problem through cooperation between the relevant authorities," Commission spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy said. "The EU and Turkey have regularly reiterated that they remain committed to the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Iraq," she said.

Turkey's parliament resoundingly approved a motion on Wednesday allowing troops to cross into northern Iraq to take on Kurdish rebels hiding there, brushing aside appeals from the United States and the Baghdad government.

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