(hurriyet) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is heading for Lebanon today to clarify the conditions under which Turkish military forces will be sent to southern Lebanon for peace-keeping duties as a part of a United Nations effort to stabilize the region.
The decision to send Gul to Lebanon was taken two days ago in a meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and top military commanders General Hilmi Ozkok and General Yasar Buyukanit, reports Trend.
Gul is heading into Lebanon only 72 hours after the UN cease-fire has taken hold, accompanied by top authorities from both the Turkish military's Chief of Staff, and the Turkish National Intelligence Agency, MIT. It is expected that Gul will meet with both Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. Ankara sources also report that there is a possibility that Gul will head to Syria for talks following his visit to Lebanon.
Gul: Other Muslim nations should take part too
FM Gul noted in a meeting two days ago in Ankara that, aside from Turkey, it was necessary for another Muslim nation to take part in the planned UN peace-keeping force in Lebanon. Among nations mentioned by Gul were Pakistan and Indonesia.