SEZER: WE HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS AND TARGETS ABOUT PROTECTION OF IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND NATIONAL UNITY

ANKARA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has said, ''Turkey and Egypt are the symbols of stability in the Middle East. There have been an exemplary co-operation between our countries. This co-operation has been making a valuable contribution to settlement of peace and stability in the region.''
President Sezer and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, who is currently in Turkey on a working visit, held a joint press conference on Wednesday after their bilateral meeting.
Speaking at the joint press conference, President Sezer emphasized, ''Mr. Mubarak and I have similar views and targets about protection of Iraq's territorial integrity and national unity, and settlement of a free future with participation of all sections of Iraqi people.''
Meanwhile, President Mubarak of Egypt said in his part that protection of Iraq's territorial integrity was obligatory.
He said that any attempts of division in Iraq would bring forth serious jeopardies and lack of confidence.
Mubarak added that both Turkey and Egypt had been advocating continuation of preparatory works for the new constitution of Iraq and coalition forces' handing over the administration to Iraqi people by protecting national unity and territorial integrity.
SEZER: WE HAVE REACHED A CONSENSUS OVER IMPORTANCE OF SETTLEMENT OF A FAIR AND COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN MIDDLE EAST FOR REGIONAL STABILITY
President Sezer said that President Mubarak's visit to Turkey was of great importance since he had been paying his first visit to Turkey since 1998.
Reminding that bilateral relations were taken up in detail during the meetings of Turkish and Egyptian delegations, President Sezer said, ''both sides have sound determination to further improve the existing good relations. We have also reached compromise to further develop the co-operation between Turkey and Egypt in every field.''
''Turkey and Egypt are the symbols of stability in the Middle East. There have been an exemplary co-operation between our countries. This co-operation has been making a valuable contribution to settlement of peace and stability in the region. We have been experiencing a sensitive period in the Middle East. During our meetings, President Mubarak and I have the opportunity of taking up the latest developments in Iraq and in the Middle East. Mr. Mubarak and I have similar views and targets about protection of Iraq's territorial integrity and national unity, and settlement of a free future with participation of all sections of Iraqi people,'' he said.
President Sezer emphasized, ''we have reached a consensus over importance of settlement of a fair and comprehensive peace both in Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts for regional stability.''
''I believe that President Mubarak's visit to Turkey would further improve bilateral relations between the two countries, and to make a valuable contribution to efforts of settling peace in the region,'' he said.
MUBARAK: TURKEY AND EGYPT HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING PROTECTION OF IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND NATIONAL UNITY
President Mubarak said that they had exchanged views on international and regional issues and bilateral relations between Turkey and Egypt.
Reminding that Turkey and Egypt had similar views about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, President Mubarak said that they had discussed benefits of resumption of peace talks between the sides on the basis of the road map, extension of necessary support by Turkey and Egypt to the process and opening of Israeli-Syrian negotiations.
Referring to the Iraq issue, President Mubarak told reporters, ''both Turkey and Egypt have been advocating protection of Iraq's territorial integrity and national unity. We have agreed that preparatory works for the new constitution of Iraq should continue, and the coalition forces should hand over the administration to Iraqi people by protecting national unity and territorial integrity. Also, we both think that the United Nations should play a more active role in Iraq, and relevant sides and neighboring countries with Iraq should extend the necessary assistance and support to the projects for rebuilding of Iraq.''
He said that any attempts of division in Iraq would bring forth serious jeopardies and lack of confidence.
Noting that they had also reached a consensus over improvement of co-operation between Turkey and Arab countries, President Mubarak said that efforts to purify the region from the weapons of mass destruction and to fight against terrorism would accelerate in the coming period.
''Besides our bilateral relations, issues such as transportation of Egyptian natural gas to Turkey, Turkish businessmen's investments in Egypt and establishment of a free trade zone between the two countries were also taken up at the meeting,'' he said.
Reminding that he had invited President Sezer to Egypt, President Mubarak added that President Sezer had responded his invitation in the affirmative.

EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MUBARAK RECEIVES PRIME MINISTER ERDOGAN, FOREIGN MINISTER GUL AND CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF OZKOK
President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt received Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok.
No statement was released about the meeting at Presidential Cankaya Palace.
Following the meeting, Erdogan told reporters that Mubarak and they discussed regional developments, especially the Middle East issue.
Erdogan said that they wanted to improve further commercial relations between Turkey and Egypt, noting that work on this issue continued.
Upon a question on the use of Incirlik base for rotation of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, Erdogan said that this permission was valid till May and recalled that the base would be used in rotation from Iraq to the United States and vice versa.
(AA) 11.02.2004