CAIRO: Israel has no relationship to peace, said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Essam Sharaf. Erdogan added that his country's policies are not determined by its relationship with Israel. The Turkish Prime Minister began his speech in Arabic saying, "Peace and Allah's mercy upon you." He said that Egypt can read the developing events in the region, but some countries cannot, notably Israel. Erdogan said Egypt and Turkey would be the bright face of the Middle East in the near future. "Cairo and Ankara cannot ignore the latest developments in the region,” said Erdogan. “The Palestinian issue is a deep wound in the Middle East.” He praised Egyptian efforts to forward the Palestinian's campaign for membership in the United Nations, adding that his country would not be silent in the face of obstacles to stability in the region. Sharaf said Egypt is committed to preserving a fair peace with Israel regardless of any price. He noted Egypt adheres to all international agreements, especially pacts regarding its border crossing with the Gaza strip. Eleven cooperative agreements between Egypt and Turkey were signed to increase trade volume between two countries to U.S. $5 billion (29.8 billion EGP), according to Sharaf.
