Turkey's President Abdullah Gul saidon Monday a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinians must be established immediately and relations normalized, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
Gul made the remarks during his meeting with visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ali Abul Gheit in the Turkish capital of Ankara. His working visit to Ankara was decided during a phone conversation between Gul and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak on Sunday.
"Humanitarian assistance to the region must also begin immediately," Gul was quoted as saying, adding that there should not be a division between Palestinians and other regional countries.
It would be in the interest of all parties to facilitate a comfortable atmosphere whereby the new U.S. administration can contribute to the peace process, Gul said.
The latest Israeli strike on Gaza on Monday noon brings the death toll to 320 in the third day of the most violent Israeli offensive the Gaza Strip faces in the past 40 years, according to Mu'awia Hassanein, director of emergencies at Gaza health ministry.
Abul Gheit also met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan on Monday. The latter said Turkey has officially ended efforts to mediate peace talks between Israel and Syria amid Israeli offensive on the strip, according to local newspaper Turkish DailyNews.
At a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Babacan said Israel and Hamas should agree on a ceasefire and that influential countries should make efforts for that.
Abul Gheit condemned the attacks, saying that both parties should end the armed operations.
"Israel must stop the killing operations, while Hamas should also refrain from retaliating and bring an end to the actions that led to the Israeli operations," he said, adding that the border gates between Israel and Gaza must be opened.
Egypt brokered a six-month truce between Hamas and Israel which expired on Dec. 19. On Saturday, Israel launched a massive air campaign against Hamas targets in retaliation for ongoing rocket and mortar fire from the crowded Gaza Strip.
Source:Xinhua
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