Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Tuesday the Palestinian problem was one of the top priorities of both Turkey and Egypt, adding that the two countries cooperated closely over the issue, Anadolu Agency reported.
Appearing at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak after their meeting at the Cankaya Presidential Residence in Ankara, Gul said Mubarak visited Turkey twice this year, which he said was a sign of the strength of relations and the importance the two country attached to consultation.
"I am confident that the level of our relations and the highest level of our cooperation in the region is an impressive picture," Gul said, adding that the two countries shared similar views in political issues.
The Turkish president said he welcomed the rapid development of trade and economic relations between the two countries, adding that the free trade agreement boosted trade volume up to 3 billion USD between Turkey and Egypt.
"Turkey and Egypt are the two important countries of the Mediterranean as well as of the Islam world. Today, we discussed specifically the Middle East peace process. We have been watching very closely Egypt's extensive efforts to that end. We have agreed that our cooperation on the Middle East issue will continue," Gul said.
The Turkish president also hosted a luncheon for Mubarak earlier in the day and the two leaders co-chaired a meeting between Turkish and Egyptian delegations.
The president of Egypt appreciated Turkey's efforts for the settlement of the Palestinian issue.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that Turkey's endeavors to solve the Palestinian problem were worth appreciation.
Israeli government's stance on West Bank and continuation of its blockade on Gaza jeopardized the peace process, Mubarak told a press conference.
Mubarak also said that Gul and he discussed bilateral relations, regional issues, developments in the Middle East, Iraq, Yemen and Gulf region, as well as Iran's nuclear program and the discussions this program caused in the region and in the world.
President Hosni Mubarak also met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. The closed-door meeting at Ankara's Sheraton Hotel lasted for about 45 minutes.
State Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Health Minister Recep Akdag were also in attendance at the meeting.