TURKEY TO CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO PEACE, STABILITY IN MIDDLE EAST

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Dec 19 2006

NEW YORK (A.A) -18.12.2006 -"Turkey will continue contributing
to peace and stability in the Middle East," said Turkish PM Recep
Tayyip Erdogan.

Qualifying his one-hour meeting with former US President Bill Clinton
as fruitful, Erdogan said that Turkey pursues transparent policies.

According to sources, Erdogan and Clinton discussed Turkey’s EU
membership bid, Cyprus problem and Turkey’s recent diplomatic
initiatives, so-called Armenian genocide allegations, developments
in the Middle East and PM Erdogan’s initiatives regarding the Middle
East in their meeting.

PM Erdogan briefed Clinton on his working trips to Iran, Syria
and Lebanon, and expressed his views about developments in Iraq
and Lebanon.

Clinton stressed that Erdogan makes positive contributions to the
Middle East, and underlined importance of formation of a coalition
government by Fatah and Hamas in Palestine.

On the other hand, Erdogan explained Turkey’s theses against
so-called Armenian genocide allegations, and added that this is a
matter concerning the historians, not politicians.