ISTANBUL - Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher came to Turkey on Thursday to participate in the regional countries' foreign ministers meeting about the Iraqi issue.
Responding to questions of journalists at Ataturk Airport, Maher said that the meeting is held for peace, adding ''our expectation and hope is to find a way for peace.''
Maher said that everybody has to play the game in line with its rules and show good will to prevent a crisis which can have negative affects for the whole region, adding that all regional countries have to launch efforts for a reconstruction programme. ''We don't want a military clash in the region,'' he said adding that in case of war people will suffer, economies will be affected, stability will be disturbed and an atmosphere of violence which will affect everybody will be formed. ''This is our message to the U.S., we are the countries which closely monitor the developments and which will be affected the most from a possible war. We came together to this end. I would like to thank Turkey very much for starting this initiative,'' he said.
When a journalist asked what kind of a result will come out if Iraq does not abide by the U.N. resolutions, Maher said that ''everybody has to act in line with the rules of the game. These rules are the decisions of the U.N. Security Council and international law. I hope all the sides will fulfill their responsibilities. If this is not the case, all the sides have to bear the consequences of such a war.''