Gul: "We will vote in favor of palestinian recognition"

Turkey will vote for a UN resolution to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, President Abdullah Gul said in remarks published yesterday. "We hope that an independent Palestine is established based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital," Japanese newspaper Nikkei quoted Gul as saying. "We are one of the strongest supporters of Palestine. There is no doubt that our vote at the UN will be a 'Yes'." Israel and the US have objected to the idea of UN recognition. The US has urged the Palestinians and Israel not to take unilateral steps that could jeopardize a final peace settlement.