Damascus, Syria - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the Iraqi conflict and Lebanon's power struggle with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday as part of Turkey's effort to play a greater role in regional affairs.

Erdogan, who flew to Syria early Wednesday, was making his second diplomatic initiative in the region in four days after a visit to Iran.

Syria's official news agency SANA said Assad discussed with Erdogan the situation in Iraq, the political crisis in Lebanon and their bilateral relations, focusing on business ties.

They "stressed the necessity to push efforts to reduce current tensions in the region and the importance of cooperation among states in the region to ensure security and stability in it," SANA reported.

Before leaving Turkey, the prime minister said his talks in Damascus would focus on many of the issues he discussed with the Iranian government, such as the rising tension in Lebanon, the insurgency in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

On Tuesday, U.S. President George W. Bush's nominee to become secretary of defense, Robert Gates, spoke highly of Turkey's role as a constructive partner in the Middle East.

Turkey is a U.S. ally and member of the NATO military alliance, but it is also a Muslim-majority country that has close ties with most Middle Eastern states. It also enjoys friendly, but occasionally tense, relations with Israel. -AP