Moussa and the Arab league address the Turkey issue

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa has asserted that the Middle East does not need the creation of military alliances under any name, noting that his country rejects the establishment of such alliances.

Relying to a question on the return of alliances to the Middle East region and whether Egypt will move in that direction, Moussa, who is currently in New York, said that any such moves or movements are under close monitoring in the region, adding the recent meeting of the Arab League had fully discussed this issue and there was "an understanding on this matter among all Arab states."

Moussa called upon Turkey, which is moving towards a military alliance with Israel to reconsider its position and be within the fold of the Islamic countries of the region. He added that this Turkish behavior will lead to an opposing alliance.

Concerning the sanctions imposed on Iraq, the Egyptian minister said this issue is under discussion at the UN Security Council. He noted that certain disputes should be sorted out in order to lift these sanctions, which will not last forever.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources in the Arab League said today that AL Secretary-General Esmat Abdul Meguid will inform Turkey about the resolution issued by the AL council concerning Israeli - Turkish military cooperation and the Arab desire to maintain good relations with Ankara, and he will urge Turkey to reconsider this cooperation in light of its risks to security and stability in the Middle East.

The sources said that Turkey made communications with some Arab parties -- "the worried ones" among which is Egypt -- that comprised a denial of the statement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about establishing a regional security system whose core will be Turkey and Israel, yet these communications did not case ease the Arab parties' anxiety.