Al-Shara in Ankara

The Syrian foreign minister Farouk al-Shara started yesterday a visit to Ankara to last for two days and discussed the situation in Iraq and Palestine with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul.

The Anadolia new agency quoted al-Shara as saying upon his arrival in the Turkish capital that he is carrying a message from the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad relating to developments in the region. Al-Shara indicated that his visit will serve in "assessing the process of events taking place in the region."

He continued he will discuss also the question of the Palestinian- Israeli conflict during his meeting with President Gul and the Turkish President Ahmad Necdet Ceazer. Al-Shara was asked on what he think of re-electing President George W. Bush and he replied, according to the same agency "there is a sort of international optimism that the results of the elections will be in the interests of the region. We have to put the war behind us."