JERUSALEM (A.A) - 24.04.2002 - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and his Greek counterpart George Papandreou came together in Jerusalem within framework of their two-day visit in which they will meet Israeli and Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Head of State Yasser Arafat, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
Cem and Papandreou attended a meeting at the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem, which was organized by the Israel and Palestine peace volunteers representatives.
Speaking at the meeting, Cem said that this visit was a result of joint efforts of him and Papandreou and they aimd to contribute to decrease the gradually escalating tension in the Middle East.
Noting that with thier visit, they targeted to bring a new point of view and approach to both sides, Cem said that their visit was at the same time a ''display of solidarity'' with those who want peace and expend efforts for peace.
Stressing that the Middle East had had always special meaning and importance to the Turkish people, Cem said that they wanted to see people live together in peace in these territories.
''In newspapers, we no more want to see children killing each other, people shooting each other and pain in these beautiful lands,''Cem said.
Emphasizing that peace in the Middle East was very important also for peace in the world, Cem said that peace in other places of the world would be damaged if peace could not be reached in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Papandreou said that Turkey and Greece developed specific approaches although they still had some problems and they were inspired by peace volunteers in the Middle Est while they were developing those approaches.
Papandreou said that the tension in the region should be reduced and more peaceful methods should be used for solution.
Meanwhile, representatives of Isareli and Palestinian peace volunteers thanked both ministers for their contribution and efforts, adding that the issue should be discussed at the table before causing more casualty.
Cem and Papandreou will firstly visit Arafat in Ramallah on Thursday and later they will hold a joint news conference.
Later on the same day, Cem and Papandreou will have a meeting with Shimon Peres. Together with Peres, they will hold another news conference, and later they will be received by Ariel Sharon.
POWELL TALKS FOREIGN MINISTER CEM ON THE PHONE ABOUT MIDDLE EAST
The U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell talked Foreign Minister Ismail Cem on the phone on Tuesday to evaluate recent developments in the Middle East.
The U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher, speaking at a news conference, pointed out that Powell discussed with Cem the situation in the Middle East.
Boucher said during Powell-Cem meeting, the visit which Cem and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou planned to make to the Middle East was also discussed. Boucher said Turkish and Greek Foreign ministers wanted to visit the region, noting that, ''both ministers want to be in contact with Powell, and Powell also wants to be in contact with them.''
Boucher, who did not give details regarding the meeting, reiterated the policy of the United States in the region.
Boucher said they believed that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat could do more pertaining to the institutions under his control, noting that they talked to the leaders in Palestinian region, and that they wanted them to start security cooperation with Israel.
Boucher said the bomb attacks not only killed the Israeli civilians, but also the dream of Palestinian state.
PEARSON: CEM AND PAPANDREOU WILL CONVEY IMPORTANT MESSAGES
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson said on Wednesday that Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou would convey important messages to Israeli and Palestinian sides during their two-day visit to the Middle East.
During a reception held at the Hilton Hotel in Ankara on the occasion of independence day of Republic of South Africa, Pearson answered reporters' questions about joint initiative of Cem and Papandreou.
Defining the visit of Cem and Papendreou as a ''very good opinion'', Pearson said that they supported this initiative and that Cem and Papandreou would convey impotant messages to both sides.