Turkey, Egypt pledge cooperation on ME issues

Turkey and Egypt agreed on closer cooperation in resolving conflicts in the Middle East, Turkey's president said Thursday. "Turkey and Egypt have agreed to continue their effective and constructive efforts toward regional peace and stability through cooperation and solidarity," said Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who made a statement to reporters alongside Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak. They did not provide any details and did not take questions. Mubarak, who is in Turkey to discuss regional issues including Iraq and the new Palestinian unity government, told reporters both countries were in agreement over the need for peaceful solutions to regional issues and for the need to avoid new conflicts in the volatile region.