Turkish Foreign Minister, Ismail Cem urged Israeli, Palestinian, Syrian and Jordanian leaders to stop the development of violence in the Middle East, Turkish officials told AFP on Monday.
Cem spoke by phone with his Syrian and Jordanian counterparts, Farouq Shara and Abdel-Ilah al-Khatib on Monday, to express Turkish concern over continued violence between Israeli forces and the Palestinians, foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Dirioz said.
Cem had talked with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli acting Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben Ami on Sunday, he added.
"Cem highlighted the vehemence of the situation and urged them to stop this very dangerous trend of developments in the region," said a senior Turkish diplomat who asked to remain anonymous.
The Turkish minister urged the parties "to stop the violence, restore calm and prepare the ground for the revitalization of the peace process," the diplomat said.
Cem was to speak again with Ben Ami later Monday, Dirioz said.
Cem's series of telephone talks followed a meeting on Sunday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, who cut short a two-day visit to Ankara on Monday after he was summoned back to Cairo.
Predominantly Muslim Turkey has been Israel's main regional ally since 1996 when the two countries signed a military cooperation deal that was sharply criticized by Iran and most Arab nations.
But it also has a friendly relationship with the Palestinians, with whom it maintains close diplomatic ties.
Nearly 100 people, mostly Palestinians, have been killed in the past 12 days in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in violent unrest that erupted following a visit by hardline Israeli politician Ariel Sharon to Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has given the Palestinians until late Monday to end the violence or face the full force or Israel's army – ANKARA (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
