Visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday that Syria would welcome Turkey's participation in a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon if Ankara decided to contribute troops.

Gul said after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other senior Syrian officials that Turkey had not made a decision on contributing troops to the UN force, but if it did, the Syrian side would welcome it.

In addition, the top Turkish diplomat said that there was a big chance to achieve peace in the Middle East after the Lebanon crisis.

"After this catastrophe, there is an opportunity to achieve peace. Every one must learn a lesson from the recent events," said Gul.

Praising his talks with senior Syrian officials as "very positive, useful and fruitful", Gul said the meeting focused on the recent developments in the region and means to establish peace and stability.

Meanwhile, according to Syria's official SANA news agency, Assad and Gul discussed the role Turkey may play in enhancing the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon and the ways to realize a just and comprehensive peace in the Mideast region.

The two sides also discussed the situation in the region, particularly in the Palestinian territories and Iraq, and the repercussions of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon.

The two leaders shared the same viewpoints regarding these issues, SANA said.

Gul, who has visited Israel and the Palestinian territories recently, is currently on a working visit to Syria, which is expected to highlight Turkey's possible participation in the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

Before heading for Damascus earlier in the day, Gul said, "The Turkish government will make a decision on the dispatch of Turkish troops to Lebanon after listening to the relevant sides."

Since the 34-day-long Israel-Hezbollah conflict ended on Aug. 14 under a UN Security Council resolution, Turkey has indicated it might contribute troops to an expanded UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. But no formal decision has been taken.

Source: Xinhua