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Turkish FM to visit Israel, Lebanon
16/8/2006 10:03

Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will pay a one-day visit to Israel and Lebanon on Wednesday after the two sides have agreed to a UN-brokered ceasefire, the semi-official Anotolia news agency reported on Tuesday.

Gul is expected to hold talks with officials of Israel and Lebanon to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East region, especially the dispatch of troops to south Lebanon, reported Anotolia.

Gul, who has repeatedly said Turkey would send troops to join a UN peacekeeping forces in south Lebanon, said on Monday that his country would await a UN resolution on a planned international force for Lebanon before making a formal decision on whether to contribute troops.

Early on Monday, a written statement from Turkish prime minister's press office said that "A new resolution to be adopted at the UN Security Council in the coming days is expected to bring more clarity" to the terms of the planned deployment.

In the statement, Turkey welcomed the UN resolution to call for a ceasefire, which went into force on Monday after both Israel and Lebanon approved it in tandem.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, unanimously adopted by the Security Council on Friday, calls for Israel's withdrawal and authorizes an increase of the existing UN force in Lebanon to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws.



Xinhua News