Gul, Mubarak pledge to continue Turkish-Egyptian cooperation on Palestinian issue

The Palestinian issue is one of the top priorities for both Turkey and Egypt, President Abdullah Gul said yesterday, adding that they have been cooperating closely to solve it. Speaking at a joint press conference after meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak at the Cankaya Presidental Palace in Ankara, Gul said Mubarak's two visits to Turkey this year show the strength of bilateral relations and the importance the two major regional powers place on further improving their ties through strong cooperation on regional issues. "I'm confident that the level of our relations and the high level of our cooperation in the region is an impressive picture," Gul said, adding that the two countries share similar views on political issues. Gul said he welcomes the rapid development of trade and economic ties between the two countries, adding that a free trade agreement has boosted the bilateral trade volume to $3 billion. "Turkey and Egypt are two important countries of the Mediterranean as well as of the Islamic world," he said. "Today, we discussed specifically the Middle East peace process. We've been very closely watching Egypt's extensive efforts to support it. We agreed that our cooperation on the Middle East issue will continue." For his part, Mubarak called Turkey one of the most significant powers in the Middle East and praised its hard work to promote peace and stability, adding that during their meeting they stressed strong bilateral cooperation. Underlining that they also discussed the importance of reaching a consensus among rival Palestinian groups, Mubarak said that they exchanged views on an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, as well as reaching a just and comprehensive peace. Mubarak said Turkey plays a large role in the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative. He also invited Gul to an event in Egypt about the Library of Alexandria set for March. Mubarak said that they also spoke about boosting trade, investments and projects between Turkey and Egypt. Praising Turkey's efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue, Mubarak said Israel's stance on the West Bank and continuation of its blockade of Gaza jeopardize the peace process. He added that they discussed bilateral relations, regional issues, developments in the Middle East, Iraq, Yemen and the Gulf region, as well as Iran's controversial nuclear program. Gul also hosted a luncheon for Mubarak, and the two leaders co-chaired a meeting between Turkish and Egyptian delegations. Mubarak also met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.