Britain's Brown praises Erdogan's mediation between India, Pakistan

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown praised Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to defuse tension between India and Pakistan in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai. India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of complicity in the attacks. Pakistan denies the claims, but the tension is continuing to escalate. Premier Erdogan spoke to leaders of both countries over the weekend and also to Brown. Erdogan told Brown that in his conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, he had stressed the gravity of the situation and called for more international initiatives to solve the issue. In response, Brown thanked Erdogan for his efforts, saying that they were aware of the seriousness of the situation. He said the international community needs Erdogan, as Turkey has good relations with both countries and so could influence them to help defuse the tension.