Turkish PM on Mideast tour about Gaza strikes

Leaders of Turkey and Syria called on Arab and Islamic nations Wednesday to pressure Israel to end its air offensive against Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, warning the attacks undermine Mideast peace efforts. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicked off a four-nation tour of the region to consult on ways to halt Israel's attacks that have killed more than 374 Palestinians and sparked street protests in Arab and Islamic nations. Syria's official news agency SANA said Erdogan and Syrian President Bashar Assad discussed ways to stop the "massacre committed by Israel" on Gaza Palestinians, and both warned of the "danger and consequences" a continued "aggression" would have on the region. The report said both stressed "the impossibility of talking about any peace under Israeli stubbornness."