CAIRO - Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met on Saturday Amr Musa, Secretary General of the Arab League, and exchanged views on regional matters.
Gul is currently in Cairo to attend a meeting of the Arab League, at ministerial level.
Speaking at a joint news conference following his meeting with Moussa, Gul said, "we work to establish a platform to boost relations between Arab League and Turkey in every area."
"They have decided to support Turkey`s candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council. I would like to express gratitude of Turkey and Turkish people for this," Gul added.
On the other hand, Amr Moussa said they have earlier announced the decision to establish a platform between Turkey and Arab League, indicating that establishing a forum for high level contacts was targeted firstly. He said the parties have reached a mutual understanding to hold annual consultations between Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Arab League.
Moussa indicated that idea of observer countries for Arab League meetings was on the agenda.
When recalled that arranging an international meeting on Iraq was on the agenda and asked if he supported holding this meeting in Istanbul, Moussa said "yes" in Turkish.
Moussa said Gul, who will attend the foreign ministers meeting, will at the same time exchange views on regional matters.
Responding to a question on Iran, Gul said Turkey favored solution of Iran`s nuclear problem through peaceful means, noting that, "any attack from Turkey to its neighbors has never been in question."
Asked what Turkey`s stance would be in case a Kurdish state is established in north of Iraq, Gul said Turkey has never considered fragmentation of Iraq as an alternative, and noted that, "those who at one time have sympathy on this started to see that this is not an alternative." Gul stated that preservation of Iraq`s territorial integrity was an assignment of Iraqis, Iraq`s neighbors and Arab League.
Responding to a question on construction works around al-Haram al-Sharif, Gul said this was not only a matter of Palestinians and Arabs but that Turkey was closely interested in this issue as a Muslim country.
Gul is scheduled to attend a dinner to be hosted by Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit today, and meet Arab League Iraq Committee foreign ministers at breakfast on Sunday.