Turkey Seeks Strong Regional Pressure On Israel

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan should meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on June 8.

Turkey is expected to seek the backing of its Middle Eastern and Asian neighbors at a regional summit to step up pressure on Israel over the killing of nine Turks on an aid ship bound for Gaza.

Several heads of state, including the presidents of Iran and Syria, are attending the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The 20-member group was set up in the late 1990s to discuss conflicts in the Asian region.

The normally little-noted forum has taken on a new importance since the tragic May 31 seizure of the "Mavi Marmara" as it attempted to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was expected to meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today. He met with the presidents of Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria on June 7.

compiled from Reuters reports