ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for Syria on Wednesday, the first leg of Middle East tour covering Syria and Jordan.
"Turkish government does not have a planned meeting with Israel. However, we will continue talks with different countries on the matter. We have started the talks with the United Nations," Erdogan said while commenting on developments in the Middle East.
Erdogan, who responded to the questions of reporters prior to his departure for Syria, said Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued talks with the United States about the developments in the Middle East.
Before his departure from Ankara to Syria, Erdogan told reporters that he would meet Syrian, Jordanian, Egyptian and Saudi Arabian leaders until January 3 to help establish peace and put an end to Israeli attack in Palestine. Erdogan will also have a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Jordan.
Erdogan recalled that he met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week and said their meeting focused on how to hold the fifth round of Turkey-mediated indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria.
Erdogan also said he told his Israeli counterpart that Turkey could help solve problems between Israel and Palestine together with Egypt.
"This cruel operation and attack in Gaza, just three or four days after these talks (with Olmert in Ankara), is a disrespect to Turkey that is in an effort to establish peace," Erdogan said.
"These incidents in Gaza are very dangerous developments that we can not remain silent in the name of regional peace and stability," he said.
(TÇ-MS)
(DIP)