ANKARA - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel departed from Ankara to participate in the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York.
Speaking before his departure from Ankara's Esenboga Airport, Gurel said besides his meetings with the foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) member countries, he would hold bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of China, Russia and the United States.
Gurel said he would meet with foreign ministers of Jordan and Iraq regarding regional developments, and noted that he would also meet with the officials of Economic Cooperation Organization and Organization for Islamic Conference.
When asked what kind of a message he would give to Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri Ahmad al-Hadithi, Gurel said, ''we have talked with Mr. Sabri for two times in six months. One of them was during the OIC Conference which I participated in Doha. The second one was in Amman when two of us were in Amman. During the meetings, on the one hand, we had the opportunity to share our concerns regarding the developments in the region, and on the other side, I tried to convince him to abide by the U.N. resolutions without conditions and open the country to the U.N. inspectors who will make inspections about mass destruction weapons.''
Gurel said, ''of course, Iraq's abiding by the U.N. resolutions and its attitude in line with international law, will constitute the first step in solution of problems in the Middle East. I think our meetings will again be carried out in this line.''