ANKARA, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday highlighted his Monday talks with his visiting Israeli counterpart Ehud Olmert on the Syrian-Israeli peace process and described it as "fruitful and comprehensive."

    Erdogan said in a statement issued by his press office that the two prime ministers held "a fruitful and comprehensive meeting" on Syrian-Israeli peace talks.

    The two sides also discussed bilateral relations and the situation in Gaza as well, said the statement.

    Olmert, who arrived in Ankara for talks with Turkish leaders in a bid to push forward the Syrian-Israeli peace talks. He left Turkey on early Tuesday after meetings with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Erdogan.

    Turkey has been mediating peace talks between Israel and Syria, though Israeli lawmakers have repeatedly urged that the talks with Syria should be put on hold until a new Israeli government is formed after the February parliamentary election.

    But before the election, Olmert will remain in power as the caretaker premier and is eager to show progress in the diplomatic process with Syria before his term in office comes to an end.

    On the other side, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Monday that the indirect peace talks between his country and Israel would turn into direct ones later on the basis of relative UN resolutions.

    Four rounds of Turkey-brokered negotiations between Israel and Syria have been carried out since the three sides confirmed in mid-May the renewal of the peace process.

    Yet a fifth round, originally planned in September, has been on hold due to Israel's political turmoil following Olmert's decision to resign for his corruption scandal.