In a televised interview with the private NTV Channel, President Gul assessed his first year in the office after his election as the president.

Referring to recent developments in Georgia, Gul said, "those problems have potentially existed in the region for a long time. Actually, I expressed my concerns about those problems during my last two meetings with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia."

"We attribute great importance to stability and peace in the Caucasus since these are essential for the economic cooperation in the region. Turkey has always advocated that problems should be resolved through dialogue. After escalation of tension in the region, I held talks with both President Saakashvili and President Dmitriy Medvedev of Russia. Turkey will contribute to efforts to safeguard stability in the region since it could not remain indifferent to recent developments in Georgia. Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty is of great importance. Its borders were recognized by the United Nations," he said.

Asked whether he would go to Armenia to watch the 2010 Word Cup qualifying match between Turkish and Armenian national soccer teams upon invitation of President Serzh Sargsian of Armenia, Gul said that they could not make a decision yet.

President Gul said, "I have invested my greatest time and efforts in Turkish foreign policy since I came to office. Turkey is a country dealing with regional and international issues and trying to contribute to them. We need to concentrate our energy in the international area. I believe that Turkey will become the most reliable country in its region in the next few years."

Upon a question about the Cyprus issue, President Gul said, "we maintain our stance regarding the Cyprus issue and support a comprehensive solution."

AA