President Abdullah Gul warned Kurdish rebels on Thursday that Turkey’s patience was running out after Turkish forces said they had repelled a guerrilla attack near the Iraqi border.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet on Friday in an effort to bridge gaps over a joint statement being crafted for a US meeting, an official said.

Police in Basra have detained 267 foreign “criminals” as Iraq’s second city witnessed clashes between Shiite militiamen and security forces, officials said on Thursday.