January 27, 2007	Saturday	Muharram 07, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The top Turkish leadership and the EU foreign policy chief have endorsed President Pervez Musharraf’s Middle East peace initiative with the assurance of their complete support on the Palestine dispute.

The assurance was held out to the president when he briefed them separately over telephone on Thursday and Friday about his recent tour of the five Middle Eastern countries for consultations on the deteriorating situation in the region.

President Musharraf telephoned Turkish Prime Recep Tayyip Erdoðan on

Friday and exchanged views with him on the key Palestine question. On Thursday he discussed the matter with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office Spokesperson on Friday said the president shared with Turkish leaders his concern over the dangers the Muslim world faced. According to the statement, the president conveyed to Turkish leaders that all the leaders he met had agreed on the need for a strong new initiative to address the Palestine issue and the Middle East situation.

“The Turkish leaders fully supported the President’s efforts and the idea of a fresh initiative to address the grave situation in the Middle East,” the statement said, adding: “The President also briefed the EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana about the visits. Mr Solana expressed appreciation for the President’s initiative and assured his full support in political and diplomatic efforts to address the Palestine issue.”

Mr Solana informed the President about his own visit to the region and agreed on the need for concerted efforts to revive the stalled peace process, the statement said.