Syrian President Bashar Assad said that Turkey must cultivate good relations with Israel if it wishes to assist his country, according to an interview published in Turkish daily Hurriyet on Sunday, Jerusalem Post reported.

Israel is the only one who can take steps to keep the peace, Assad reportedly told the newspaper.

However, the Syrian president went on to stress that Israel was constantly occupying the Golan Heights, and claimed that the Jewish state was using force and murder against the Palestinians.

When asked about his country's stance on Israel, Assad replied that Turkey is twice the size of Syria, and part of Syria's land "is constantly occupied."

The Syrian president also defended Hamas and Hizbullah, explaining that if occupation is ongoing, "people will react to it."

Assad stressed that "no one in the region is in need of a nuclear bomb," stressing that Israel's nuclear arsenal stood in direct contrast to Iran's legitimate wish to acquire nuclear technology.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, accused Israel of committing much greater crimes during Operation Cast Lead than Sudan had committed in Darfur.

Erdogan said it would be easier to discuss state killings of civilians with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir than with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

"I cannot discuss this with Netanyahu but I can easily discuss such issues with Omar al-Bashir. I can say to his face: What you are doing is wrong," Erdogan said.