Babacan: "the UN should find a solution to the problems in Gaza"

In New York, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and an accompanying delegation yesterday met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "The UN should find a solution to the problems in Gaza," Babacan told the meeting. For his part, Moon praised Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to end the violence in the Gaza Strip, and to provide peace and security in the region. In related news, according to a Prime Ministry statement, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Deputy Chairman Egemen Bagis yesterday was appointed state minister to fill the chief negotiator post for Turkey's European Union membership talks. The decision to separate the duties of the foreign minister and chief negotiator is due to recent developments in the Middle East and Turkey's non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, said the statement. Until now, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has held the chief negotiator post.