Ankara: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit arrived here today for talks with Turkish leaders on the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, a foreign ministry official said.
Gheit was to hold talks with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the official told AFP.
Gheit said yesterday that Egypt was trying to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to be followed by a truce.
Predominantly Muslim, non-Arab Turkey is Israel's main regional ally but also has close ties with the Palestinians. It has stepped up Middle East peace efforts in recent years.
Egypt brokered a six-month truce between Hamas and Israel which expired last week and a new wave of tit-for-tat violence led to Israel's air attacks on the Gaza Strip which have claimed more than 300 lives since Saturday.
