ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul held bilateral meetings with U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot and Luxembourgian Foreign Minister Lydie Polfer in Belgian capital Brussels, where he attended the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, sources said on Friday.
The same sources said that Gul thanked Powell for his assistance and support to concerned parties in the Cyprus negotiations held in Switzerland from March 24 to 31.
Delegations from Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Greek Cypriot side, Turkey and Greece joined quartet Cyprus conference in Buergenstock, Switzerland between March 24 and 31 in order to find a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issue till May 1 on the basis of United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Greek counterpart Costas Caramanlis joined the four-party meetings as of Monday.
Negotiations ended on March 31 as Annan presented his final plan to the parties. This plan will be put to simultaneous referenda in Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides in the island on April 24.
In his meeting with Powell, Gul stressed that the result of the negotiations was a benefit for both sides in Cyprus while Powell said that he agreed with Gul, his country would continue to support the process, and expressed pleasure that progress had been recorded in the negotiation process.
Gul said that reaching a result in Cyprus process was a sign that many chronic problems in the world could be solved and expressed his belief that this settlement could shed light on solution of problems like Palestinian-Israeli dispute.
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul expressed his same views during his meetings with Straw, Bot and Polfer.
Bot voiced the Following European Union (EU) Term President Netherland's pleasure with developments in Cyprus process in his meeting with Gul.
During the meeting, Gul voiced his views about the Greater Middle East project of the United States, Iraq, Balkans and Mediterranean Dialogue.
Gul, who started his speech by celebrating seven countries who had joined NATO, expressed pleasure with the successful end of NATO's enlargement process.
Noting that Turkey had supported accession process of new member countries from the outset, Gul said that the Alliance had become stronger after those new countries joined NATO and added that Turkey would continue to support NATO's open door policy.
Condemning the terrorist attacks which had been staged in Madrid in March, Gul pointed to importance of cooperation of international community in fight against terrorism.
Noting that NATO should discuss initiatives to be launched to counter terrorism, Gul asked NATO members to cooperate in countering radicalism.
Gul said that countering radicalism would be taken up in the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) summit to be held in Istanbul.
They also planned to organize second EU-OIC summit in autumn, Gul stated.
Touching on Greater Middle East project, Gul said that there was need for reforms and changes in the Middle East.
Settlement of Palestinian-Israeli issue was very important within the framework of that project, Gul pointed out.
Gul said that it could be difficult to get any result from the project unless Palestinian-Israeli dispute was solved.
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul recommended regional leaders and intellectuals to establish dialogue and stressed that it was important that regional leaders dealt with their own issues.
Touching on Iraq issue, Gul said that Iraq's territorial and political integrity should be preserved and noted that they would continue to help Iraqi people reconstruct their own country.
Recalling that Afghanistan had priority for NATO, Gul said that the Alliance should think of a plan to help stability and normalization of Iraq.
Gul went to Brussels on Thursday.
(BRC) 02.04.2004