Turkey on Tuesday expressed support “in principle” for US President George W. Bush’s speech supporting a Palestinian state as part of a blueprint for peace in the Middle East.
"The speech made by US President George W. Bush yesterday regarding the Middle East has been in principle received positively," a Turkish foreign ministry statement said.
"It is being hoped that the issues envisaged in the speech will lead to a revitalization in the solution (efforts) of the dispute," it added, according to AFP.
The statement did not refer to an implicit call by President Bush for the replacement of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Mainly Muslim Turkey, a non-Arab nation, is Israel’s main ally in the region, but it also maintains close relations with the Palestinians and supports their demands for statehood. (Albawaba.com)
