DAVOS - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that they had not lost their hope for a peaceful solution in Iraq.
Erdogan held a press conference following his contacts in Davos.
Responding to a question if he was asked questions during his contacts on whether efforts for a peace in Iraq should include Saddam Hussein or not, Erdogan said, ''there were necessary evaluations regarding Iraq and very good questions were asked. The world wants solution of this issue through peaceful means. Turkey, as a country which faced the highest damages during the Gulf War, has to act very carefully. To this end, United Nations (U.N.) resolution and the decision of the Security Council are of utmost importance for us.''
Erdogan went on saying, ''the summit held by Middle Eastern countries under leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul in Istanbul was concluded very positively. The situation that came out of the summit is being notified to Iraq. This has been appreciated by not only the United States but also by the countries that are interested in the summit. This is a very important strategic step and a very important step in setting the strategy for Turkey.''
''I believe that there will be a beneficial result. We have not lost our hope for a peaceful solution in Iraq. We hope that the issue will be solved peacefully,'' Erdogan added.