Turkey says Israel attacks to last as long as world extends support

The entire world should clearly demand that Israel halts its offensive, Babacan told Turkish reporters during his official visit to Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina.Â

"I am especially avoiding giving specific country names. But everybody is guessing who these countries are. Therefore from now on Israel should not see a green light from any countries. All the lights it sees should be red," he said when asked whether he was referring to the United States.

"The death toll of civilians has exceeded a thousand so far. All these developments imply that some countries should now take action. We have already launched some initiatives to this end. Our delegations are currently in Cairo, Egypt, in search for an immediate ceasefire in the region," he was quoted by Anatolian Agency as saying.Â

Babacan said no one has the patience to wait another second, adding that all parties should lay down their arms and give diplomacy a chance.

He also said there was not a scheduled meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, denying some media reports suggesting the three leaders would meet in Cairo on Jan. 20.

Diplomats familiar with the Turkish Foreign Ministry said earlier on Thursday the country is deeply concerned over and saddened by the escalating violence and Israel's latest attacks in Gaza.

The diplomats told the Anatolian Agency that Turkey was monitoring with great concern the Israeli offensive which also targeted a Gaza building housing offices of international organizations.

Turkey, Israel’s main regional ally, is one of the countries that have condemned the Jewish state for its offensive on Gaza, which has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians.

 

Ankara is also involved directly in efforts to bring about a truce and a delegation headed by Erdogan’s top foreign policy adviser, Ahmet Davutoglu, has been crisscrossing the region since January 11.

 

The delegation has been shuttling between Cairo and Damascus in a bid to bring the parties closer to a truce.