Turkey ready to mediate for Afghan peace: Ruling AKP

Turkey is ready to take part in mediation efforts for peace in Afghanistan and the region, the country's ruling party spokesman said on March 9. 

"Afghanistan is a very important country for us," Ömer Çelik, spokesman for the AKP, told reporters in the capital Ankara after a meeting of the party's Central Executive Board.

To a question about ongoing intra-Afghan peace talks, Çelik said: "Turkey is ready to be involved in all kinds of mediation efforts for peace in Afghanistan and the region."

On Sunday, the Afghan government's representative said during talks with the Taliban in Qatar that the government was evaluating a proposed peace plan submitted by the U.S. envoy.

Speaking at an event at the Afghanistan Institute for Strategic Studies in Kabul, Nader Nadery said the plan was a proposal to end the war and bring peace to Afghanistan.

According to Nadery, the government is evaluating the plan to see if it would help the country or lead to another long-term disaster.

This came after a diplomatic letter leaked by Afghanistan's Tolo News suggested that the U.S. would ask Turkey to host the peace talks.

'Greece will be left alone with Turkey in this region'

Çelik rejected Greece's welcoming response to a decision adopted at an Arab League meeting of foreign ministers that accused Turkey of increasing tensions in the Caucasus and Mediterranean regions. Turkey on Friday "completely rejected" the decision.

He accused Athens of producing aggression against Turkey in tactical alliances.

He urged Athens to not rely on the permanent backing of other countries that have "taken it along to arm wrestle with Turkey."

"When [those countries] depart tomorrow, Greece will again be left...