Riyadh

Negotiations between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority "will not bring results", Turkey's Prime Minister has said. Mr. Rajab Tayeb Erdogan made his statement during a visit to Saudi Arabia. He said that the sole participation of the Palestinian Authority's president, Mahmoud Abbas without any input from the Islamic resistance Movement (Hamas) in negotiations with the Zionist side will be fruitless.

Reported in Al-Quds newspaper, Mr. Erdogan insisted that it was "necessary" to include Hamas in negotiations if real peace is to prevail. In this, he added, he is in agreement with Tony Blair, the International Quartet's envoy.

On a related issue, the Turkish Prime Minister said that relations between his country and Israel must be conducted in a just manner to rescue Al-Aqsa Mosque from the grave dangers it faces, the foremost of which are Israeli tunnels under the Noble Sanctuary. He revealed that this matter was being discussed by the leaders of all Muslim countries. Erdogan called on the international community to put pressure on the Israeli authorities to stop trying to change the religious and ethnic identity of Jerusalem.