PM says Turkey will play active role in Mideast

Turkey's fierce censure of Israel's offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip will not end its role as a peace mediator in the Middle East, Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said.

Israel's military campaign, which ended in a January 18 truce, triggered protests from its ally Turkey that culminated in a shouting match between Erdogan and Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Erdogan, in an interview with Reuters and two Turkish newspapers late on Friday, said the results of the Israeli elections this week, showing gains by right-wing parties, had "painted a very dark picture" for the future.

Predominantly Muslim but officially secular, Nato member Turkey has a unique position in the region as it has close ties with Israel and Arab countries as well as with Washington.

Some diplomats and analysts say Turkey's role as a mediator in the Middle East, and in particular as a neutral negotiator between Israel and Syria, suffered short-term damage because of Erdogan's fierce criticism of Israel and defence of Hamas.

"I don't think that way... Turkey is a strong country that has a (unique) international position," said Erdogan, speaking on his plane while returning to Ankara from a campaign trip to Sivas.

"We were not the ones who wanted this negotiations role. In negotiations between Syria and Israel both countries wanted Turkey to be the mediator, that is why we took part in it. The same happened with the Israeli and Pakistani talks."

He said critics misunderstood Turkish foreign policy if they thought the government was siding with Hamas or was against Israel. Turkey wanted peace in the region and was defending the helpless, in this case the civilians in Gaza, he said.

He said the ruling AK Party, which has roots in political Islam, had restored Turkey's influence in the world and it was only natural that Turkey should use its newfound strength to help solve crises from the Caucasus to the Middle East.