ISTANBUL
US Secretary of State, John Kerry on Sunday said that they have advised Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to postpone his potential visit to Gaza.
Speaking at a press conference at Istanbul's Conrad Hotel where he had arrived to attend a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Group of Friends of Syria, John Kerry stressed that he thought it would be better if Prime Minister Erdogan postponed his visit to Gaza and the visit did not take place now due to certain reasons.
"Surely, Mr. Erdogan has the right to do or not to do what he wishes. We believe that the timing of the visit to Gaza is critical for the peace process we are trying to place back on the road. We want the sides not to be affected from outside. We think that it would be more beneficial if Mr. Erdogan waited for the right conditions," Kerry said.
"Prime Minister Erdogan listened to us graciously. I think he is very sensitive on the issue. If necessary, this issue could be discussed when he comes to Washington. I want to stress that Prime Minister Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have been very helpful and constructive in this process. We consider them as officials who can make beneficial contributions to this atmosphere," Kerry also said.
