Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has assured Damascus that Israel is prepared to implement full withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights, Arabic press reports said on Wednesday.

"Mr Erdogan telephoned President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday morning to tell him of the readiness of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to withdraw completely from the occupied Syrian Golan in return for peace," reported the Syrian Al-Watan daily.

On Sunday, the Syrian president told a meeting of the ruling Baath party that "friendly parties were making efforts to organize contacts between Syria and Israel." "Syria is in favor of a just and lasting peace. Syria rejects any secret negotiations or contacts with Israel. Any action taken by Syria in this area will be revealed to the public," official media quoted Assad as saying.

On Wednesday, Israel refused to comment on the report regarding the acceptance of the full withdrawal idea. On his part, Israeli government spokesman David Baker said, according to AFP: "Israel wants peace with Syria. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reaffirmed that in numerous recent interviews and he hasnt changed his opinion since."

© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)