Turkey mediates between Syria and Israel

DAMASCUS, Syria, March 7 (UPI) -- A senior Turkish official in Damascus said Sunday his country is acting as a mediator between Syria and Israel in their efforts to resume peace negotiations.

Turkish Minister of State for Commercial Affairs Kursat Tuzmen told United Press International Turkey was "doing all it can to mediate between Syria and Israel to achieve peace in the region."

Tuzmen said Ankara was not only working to revive the Syrian-Israeli peace talks, "but also other tracks on a regional level to prepare for peace and to stop the bloodbaths in some of the countries."

Tuzmen said he was carrying a message from Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to his Syrian counterpart, but refused to reveal the details of its content.