October 13, 2001
King Abdullah urges renewal of Mideast peace talks
ANKARA, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah on Saturday called for the immediate revival of the Middle East peace process as part of a broader international effort to combat terrorism.
"Regional stability can only prevail when comprehensive peace on all tracks is ensured. The international community must act immediately to get the peace process back on track," the king said after meeting with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.
King Abdullah, an important Arab ally of Washington, reiterated his full support of U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan after it refused to hand over Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden.
Bin Laden is the prime suspect in the September 11 attacks on the United States that killed more than 5,000 people.
"We will continue to fight international terrorism and we will continue to urge the international community to address the root causes of conflict and tension," the monarch said.
NATO ally Turkey has indicated its soldiers could contribute to humanitarian missions, intelligence gathering and training opposition in the military action against Afghanistan.
Muslim nations Turkey and Jordan have also backed Palestinian aspirations of statehood while playing roles in peacemaking. Jordan is one of two Arab states with a peace treaty with Israel, and Turkey holds close commercial and military links with Israel.
Both countries share borders with Iraq and have expressed worries the U.S. "war on terrorism" might spread there.
"We assessed the situation in Iraq, important to both Turkey and Jordan, and its negative effects on Middle Eastern peace and stability," Turkey's Sezer said.
Ankara fears strikes on Iraq would force refugees into Turkey and add to trade revenue losses which it says have totalled as much as $40 billion since the 1991 Gulf War