ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a phone call with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Sunday, in an effort to ease the recent tension in the Middle East which escalated after abduction of an Israeli corporal.
Prime Minister Erdogan expressed his concerns about acts of violence in the region, and informed Annan on his initiatives to ease the tension. Meanwhile, Annan said that he shared Prime Minister Erdogan's concerns about Israel's use of extreme force.
He informed PM Erdogan about contacts of the UNSC-member countries with PM Ehud Olmert of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine.
United Nations Secretary-General Annan and Prime Minister Erdogan agreed that the international community should take action in this regard as soon as possible.
Earlier, Erdogan had telephone conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, Palestinian President Abbas and U.S. President George W. Bush to put an end to the tension in the region.