NEW YORK - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Wednesday that failure of Iraq and Middle East road map would cause catastrophe in the region.
Gul participated in Eurasia summit and delivered a speech entitled, ''Energy, Economic Development and Regional Security''.
Gul said developments in Iraq and solution process of Palestinian-Israeli problem have effects on each other, stating that failure of one of them would negatively effect the other.
Gul said recent developments in the Middle East did not leave much place for optimism, stating that international community was in consensus of opinion that cooperation was needed in Iraq, but that it could not agree on implementation of it.
Foreign Minister Gul said peace process between Israel and Palestine seemed to enter in impasse again, and noted that, ''future of road map seems uncertain''.
Gul said solving economic and social problems of Palestine and at the same time meeting security needs of Israel were very important, adding that, ''violence and terrorism should absolutely be stopped. My government fully supports Middle East peace process. We have positive relations with both sides. We have proposed both sides our willingness to contribute to peace.''
In his speech Gul focused on opening of east-west energy corridor, and importance of transfer of Caucasian and Central Asian energy resources to world markets.
Gul also gave information about Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline.
Gul who later replied questions, stated that Turkey would go to Iraq not as a police force but aiming to help civilian people.
Briefing the journalists about 8.5 billion U.S. dollars loan, Gul said the loan had two conditions. He said one of them was continuation of economic program, and the other was cooperation in restoration of stability in Iraq. Gul stressed that the loan did not have any connection with dispatch of soldiers.
(AY) 25.09.2003