The dispute between Iran and Western powers should be “resolved without being protracted further, through diplomatic means,” Turkish President Abdullah Gul told a joint news conference with visiting Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad.

The Syrian leader lent support to recently intensified Turkish efforts to help resolve the standoff, among them a proposal to host renewed talks between Iranian and Western officials, revealed Friday.

“We would like Turkey to keep up its positive role,” Assad said through an interpreter.

Gul said Turkey was ready to help revive the stalled peace talks between Syria and Israel, but the Syrian president said Israel does not appear to be a partner in the process.

“I don’t think conditions are ripe for a successful mediation because Israel does not appear to be ready for peace,” Assad told the news conference.

Gul said Syria had several times expressed readiness to resume the talks, but Israel had failed to follow suit.

Assad said Syria was still working for progress to reach peace with Israel.

“Even if there is one percent risk of a war, we are working to eliminate that,” Assad said in response to a question over whether the two rivals could go to war over their conflicts.

Assad accused Israel of maintaining hostile policies toward the Palestinians and not compromising from its stance, hampering the Mideast peace process.

The two leaders denounced controversial Israeli plans to build fresh settler homes in Arab East Jerusalem.

“This is a very dangerous trend,” Gul said, adding that the expansion of Israeli settlements might lead “to things getting out of control.”

Turkey mediated four rounds of indirect talks between Israel and Syria in 2008, but the process collapsed when Israel launched a deadly offensive into the Gaza Strip at the end of the year.

Since then, Turkey’s ties with Israel, a close regional ally, have badly deteriorated amid vehement criticism from Ankara of the Zionist state’s heavy-handed policies in the Palestinian lands.

Assad was scheduled to wrap up his visit Sunday.