Turkish PM tours Middle East for Gaza talks

TURKEY: Turkey's prime minister says he is visiting four Middle Eastern states for consultations on ways to end the violence in Gaza.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will be in Syria and Jordan on Wednesday.

He will visit Egypt on Thursday and Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Turkey has strongly criticized Israel for its airstrikes and has warned the battle threatens to escalate into a wider crisis across the region. Turkey is Israel's closest ally in the region and had been mediating for peace between Israel and Syria.

Israeli jets and assault helicopters continued to pound targets Wednesday as the Gaza Strip entered its fifth day of battle. The airstrikes have killed 370 people since Saturday.

ANKARA, Wednesday, AP