KUALA LUMPUR - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday that Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) should undertake a more active role about its member Iraq, and asked OIC to form an Islam Peace Force for Iraq.

Gul replied to questions of Turkish reporters after attending first sessions of the Ministerial Preparatory Meeting of the 10th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference of the OIC.

Gul said Turkey thought of making OIC more influential, stating that some reforms had to be made for this.

Stressing that OIC should be more active particularly in incidents concerning Islam world, Gul said, ``a policy like `leave, watch, see` can not lead anywhere. This is what has been generally done so far. On the contrary, initiatives should be taken. Now that there is a test in front of us about this. The same thing can be done on Iraq. Since Iraq is a part of OIC, we should not remain as spectator. We should not leave the issue to others and say they can design it in the way they want. Since we all attribute importance to Iraq`s territorial integrity, we should not only watch it from outside and we should not only express our views. We should take active roles.``

Gul said he proposed that OIC could form an Islam Peace Force for Iraq, stressing that, ``if you only watch the things from outside, you should accept the developments there.`` Gul said he considered OIC`s taking an initiative in this respect as an opportunity for the organization.

Gul said he would bring his proposal onto agenda during his bilateral meetings, adding that the foreign ministers, whom he spoke to so far, did not express any view.

Gul said the decision on dispatch of soldiers to Iraq could be implemented when conditions were fulfilled, adding that the authority that was given to the government would not be used automatically.

When Gul was reminded that Malaysia expressed a negative view on Turkey`s decision on dispatch of soldiers, he said Malaysia was a country which is 8,000 km away from Iraq. He said of course attitude of a country which was a neighbor of Iraq, and which nearly lived together with Iraq for 10 years could not be the same with Malaysia.

Stressing that every country has its own point of view, Gul said everybody knew good will of Turkey on preservation of Iraq`s territorial integrity.

Gul is expected to meet with foreign ministers of Malaysia, Tunisia and Pakistan on Tuesday.

(AY) 13.10.2003