Turkey's FM: Israel tension over West Bank Mosques threatens peace

"Turkey attaches great importance to developing our relations with Egypt on a strategic ground," Davutoglu told a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit.

Davutoglu is actually paying a formal visit to Cairo, Egypt and earlier met President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak.

The Turkish minister defined bilateral relations as perfect, and said two countries were in a continuous political dialogue.

Davutoglu expressed two countries' determination to maintain high-level dialogue, and defined economic relations as perfect as well.

The trade volume between Turkey and Egypt has been over 3 billion USD.

Davutoglu said he discussed with Gheit common regional matters, particularly issues concerning the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

"We both think the Middle East peace process should speed up," he said.

Davutoglu "appreciated Egypt's efforts aiming to seek compromise among the Palestinians", and expressed the two countries' determination to cooperate in the Middle East peace process.

The Turkish minister said establishing a Palestinian state and solving the Palestinian problem were the common goals of Turkey and Egypt.

"We have also decided to work together in the East Mediterranean and Balkans, Caucasus and Africa," he said.

Davutoglu said the strategic dialogue between Turkey and Egypt would contribute to settlement of peace and stability in all of the above mentioned geographies.

The Turkish foreign minister underlined importance of holding upcoming Iraqi elections in a peaceful atmosphere which would contribute to Iraq's stability, and said maintaining stability in Lebanon would be beneficial.

Davutoglu said increasing tension in Jerusalem, particularly that in Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, was threatening the Middle Eastern peace and stability.

"Preserving the cultural identity of the city of Jerusalem and all other Palestinian cities and showing required respect to it are the sine qua non conditions in the Middle East," Davutoglu said.

Hawkish Israeli Premier Binyamin Netanyahu announced that Ibrahimi Mosque in Al-Khalil (Hebron) and Bilal Mosque in Bethlehem to a list of 150 so-called Jewish heritage sites that would be renovated to reconnect Israelis to their history.

Built in 635 A.D., Ibrahimi Mosque is one of the first Muslim worship places in Palestine.

But Jewish extremists claim the two sites, known to Israelis as the Cave of the Patriachs and Rachel's Tomb, belong to historical Jewish heritage.

Davutoglu also said Turkey was ready to resume Syrian-Israeli negotiations in case of any demand from both parties.

Also speaking in the press conference, Gheit said Davutoglu and he particularly debated possible contributions to Palestinian issues and peace.

During their bilateral meeting, Davutoglu briefed Gheit on ongoing comprehensive negotiations in Cyprus.

Earlier on Tuesday, Davutoglu participated in a luncheon hosted in his honor and participated in the second meeting of Turkey-Egypt Strategic Dialogue Mechanism.

Davutoglu is scheduled to attend a dinner this evening, and brief various ambassadors and intellectuals on Turkish foreign policy.


/World Bulletin/