One day after Turkish leaders reaffirmed their determination to wipe out Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) bases across the border, Iraq's Defence Minister Abdel Qader Mohammed Jassim and National Security Minister Shirwan al-Waeli, met Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Interior Minister Besir Atalay.

Tensions rose after the Turkish parliament authorised the government last week to order military incursions against the mountain bases of the PKK, which has been waging a bloody campaign for self-rule in southeastern Turkey since 1974.

The PKK ambushed a military patrol last Sunday, just four days after the parliamentary vote, killing 12 soldiers and capturing eight.

The Turkish army has since massed men and material along the border, and reported it had killed more than 60 Kurdish rebels in fighting since Sunday's ambush.

The Turks have complained about what they call US and Iraqi inaction in dealing with the PKK in northern Iraq, a virtual safe haven for the rebels who can arm themselves there.

Washington and Baghdad have vowed to make good on promises to crack down on the PKK, but Turkish officials appear sceptical.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul warned Thursday that Ankara is "running out of patience" and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at US calls for restraint. He warned: "Our security forces are determined to move as soon as the situation allows."

"We respect the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq, (but) we are running out of patience and we will not tolerate the use of Iraqi soil for terrorist activities," Gul said. "We are fully determined to take all necessary steps to end this threat."

The Iraqi delegation includes Iraq's intelligence chief and representatives of the two major Kurdish parties in northern Iraq, as well as a US military officer.

Not all the officials were at the ministerial meeting and some were to hold talks with Turkish intelligence and military officials.

"We came with concrete steps, concrete proposals," the Iraqi defence minister was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency after his arrival Thursday.

This appeared to be a response to a statement by Babacan this week that the Iraqi visit would be useless unless it contained such proposals.

Earlier this week, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered the closure of all PKK offices in Iraq in what was seen as a concession to US and Turkish pressure. The autonomous Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq insisted however that there were no offices to close.

Several clashes have been reported along the Turkish-Iraqi border.

The Turkish military said tanks and heavy artillery thwarted an attack Tuesday by "a large group" of PKK rebels against an army outpost on the border.

"More than 30 of the terrorists were rendered ineffective," said a statement on the website of the Turkish General Staff. Media reports said at least 30 rebels were killed.

It was the second confirmed attack in three days by the PKK against Turkish troops near the border since Sunday's ambush.