A statement from the spokesman's office said the Iraqi delegation's trip to Turkey was "a positive effort" and praised Baghdad's "well-intentioned and sincere" approach.

"However," it said, "we see that the Iraqi delegation has come with ideas that will take a long time to put into action. The time factor is very important.

"Turkey," it said, "expects urgent and determined measures in the fight against the PKK terror organisation" -- the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkey says enjoys safe haven in bases in northern Iraq and whose recent, deadly attacks against Turkish troops sparked the current crisis.

At the Iraqi delegation's headquarters, defence ministry spokesman Muhammed Askeri, speaking in Arabic, read out Baghdad's proposals, which included, according to an informal translation, the creation of more and reinforced military outposts along the border to prevent infiltration by PKK rebels.

Baghdad also suggested direct talks between the Turkish, Iraqi and US military and the revival of a tripartite panel to coordinate the fight against the PKK.

The solution to the problem "must in any case be political and diplomatic," the Iraqis said, according to the same informal translation.

Friday's talks between Iraq's Defence Minister Abdel Qader Mohammed Jassim and National Security Minister Shirwan al-Waeli and Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Interior Minister Besir Atalay began at the foreign ministry here in the morning and lasted only about 90 minutes.

"Very important talks are under way. There are positive results, everything is happening as planned," Askeri then said.

A working lunch preceded the second round of talks, which lasted for about four and a half hours.

Until the foreign ministry statement Friday evening, the Turkish side refrained from all comment.

Tensions in the region rose last week when the Turkish parliament authorised the government to order military incursions against the bases of the PKK, which has been waging a bloody campaign for self-rule in southeast Turkey since 1984.

They peaked after the PKK ambushed a military patrol on Sunday, killing 12 soldiers and capturing eight.

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

Turkey has long complained of what it calls US and Iraqi inaction in dealing with the PKK in northern Iraq, where the rebels enjoy safe haven.

Washington and Baghdad have vowed to make good on promises to crack down on the PKK, but Turkish leaders, facing strong domestic pressure for rapid military action, have voiced mounting exasperation.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to make a statement later Friday on his return from an official visit to Romania.