ANKARA (A.A) - 05.04.2002 - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer had a telephone conversation with U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday evening expressing Turkey's concern about the ongoing incidents in the Middle East.
In return, Bush told Sezer that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell would try to convince both sides to act more reasonably during his visit to the region.
During the conversation, Sezer said that Palestinians' unconditionally accepting the peace proposal put forward by Bush on April 4 was a positive development. Sezer also indicated that Israel should immediately end its invasion of the Palestinian land and employing violence against Palestinians, opening way to peace. He said he expected Powell to use his influence on both sides during his visit to the Middle East.
Sezer stated that Turkey wanted Israel to live in security and condemned terrorist acts by Palestinians, however, Sezer added years long sufferings of the Palestinian people and the sanctions imposed on them should also be taken into consideration. He said that keeping Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat under siege in a humiliating manner and occupying Palestinian territory greatly damages the peace process. He also maintained that the ongoing violence would negatively influence international fight against terrorism and efforts to form a dialogue between civilizations as well as the national interests of the United States.
Sezer said that Turkey was determined to contribute to peace efforts and pointed to the steps taken to strengthen the strategic partnership between Turkey and the United States. He added that Turkish and U.S. authorities should be in close cooperation about the developments in the Middle East.
Bush stated that Turkey and the United States were two countries which had the trust of both Israelis and Palestinians and added that his country would continue asking Israel to withdraw from Palestinian cities. He said that both sides should act reasonably to revive the peace process.
Bush stated that Powell would try to convince both sides during his visit and he thanked Turkey for its support to peace efforts.
Bush also thanked Turkey for deciding in principle to take over the command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
At the end of the conversation, Bush added that the United States would continue to consult Turkey, a very important ally of his country.