Italy is increasingly concerned over Turkey's military forays into Iraq against PKK rebels and Israel's retaliation against Gaza, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema said on Thursday.
Speaking to the press after his meeting with Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, D'Alema said ''there is great concern over the risk that the conflict (between Turkey and the PKK) may further destabilize the situation'' in Iraq''. ''We have asked Turkish authorities to conclude as soon as possible the military operation it began without setting any time limit or precise objective,'' D'Alema said.
''We have also urged that dialogue and cooperation be restored between Turkish and Iraqi authorities,'' he added.
Turning his attention to Israel's retaliation against Gaza for missile attacks on an Israeli border town, D'Alema said ''certainly this does not help the peace process but only diminishes its credibility and importance''.
''We are very concerned over what is happening in Gaza and mourn the civilian victims,'' he added.
''Not only must the missile attacks on Siderot cease, but also the reprisals, which since the Annapolis peace conference have caused some 200 deaths,'' the Italian foreign minister said.
According to Moussa, the Annapolis peace initiative ''is heading towards collapse. We have seen no progress in resolving either the Arab-Israeli or Palestinian-Israel conflicts, objectives which were the reason why we decided to take part in the Annapolis talks''.
''This year, six months after Annapolis, we will be called on to review the situation and see whether Israel has met its obligations or whether it has disappointed us yet again,'' the Arab League secretary-general added.
''If this is the case we cannot go on any further fooling ourselves or Arab public opinion,'' Moussa explained.
Looking back at what has taken place since the US-sponsored talks, Moussa said ''we have not made an iota of progress since Annapolis. There have been a lot of handshakes, smiles and visits, but no progress''.
At Annapolis, Israeli and Palestinian officials set a 12-month deadline to resolve their chief differences in order to pave the way for the creation of a Palestinian state.
The main problem, Moussa explained, is that ''Israel is trying to change the geography and demography of the Occupied Territories. Since 2002 we have not seen any positive reactions from Israel to Arab peace initiatives''.
During his meeting with the press, Moussa publicly thanked D'Alema and outgoing Premier Romano Prodi on behalf of the Arab League for Italy's efforts in the Middle East, the Mediterranean region and Africa over the past two years.
D'Alema responded by saying that he was convinced that an international presence in Lebanon - which includes Italy - as well as dialogue between Europe and the Arab League had contributed to the fact that the conflict there had not worsened and that conditions had been created for negotiation.
Collaboration between Europe and the Arab world, D'Alema concluded, ''is essential to isolate terrorism and stop conflicts''.
Prodi resigned last month after he lost his majority in parliament when centrist elements in his broad coalition withdrew their support.
Early elections are set for April 13 to elect a new parliament and government.
