Turkey, Syria seek a peaceful solution

"We still believe that this problem can be solved without war," Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said after talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. "Turkey and Syria agreed to co-ordinate efforts to bring a peaceful solution to the problem."
The Turkish prime minister urged the Iraqi government to co-operate with United Nations arms inspectors, whose chief has accused Baghdad of failing to account for material it produced in the past for weapons of mass destruction.
"Iraq should make an extraordinary effort and comply transparently with UN resolutions, leaving no space for suspicion," Gul said.
The U.S. has threatened to disarm Iraq by force unless it co-operates fully with the UN disarmament process.
Syria’s official news agency, SANA, quoted Assad as telling Gul: "The first thing that is required now is that the UN weapons inspectors complete their search." Assad urged the UN and countries in the region to work hard to avert a U.S.-led war on Iraq and maintain regional stability and security, SANA reported. Assad and Gul agreed on "the need for all parties to work seriously and persistently to spare Iraq the spectre of war."