Israel is hailing the visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan because Turkey is a predominately Moslem country. "We thought it was a sign for many other nations, that there's no reason why the Jewish state and Muslim countries can't have good, cordial, cooperative relations," government spokesman Mark Regev told Israel Radio. Following in the footsteps of other world leaders who have visited here in recent months, the Turkish Prime Minister wants to play a mediating role in the Mideast peace process. "Turkey is committed to peace and security in the region," Erdogan said, with Prime Minister Sharon at his side. Erdogan visited the Temple Mount mosques under tight security and then met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.