Blair calls for promoting 'true face of Islam' in anti-terror fight

Blair, speaking at a joint press conference in London with Erdogan, added that cooperation with the secular Muslim state of Turkey had "been excellent both in terms of intelligence and the exchange of information."

The British premier underlined that combating extremist Islamists through promoting moderate Islam would stop extremists swelling in number.

"We need to look at ways of helping and supporting the proper, true face of Islam in taking on that small fringe of extremism that abuses the good name of Islam," Blair said.

"The cooperation we have had from Turkey has been excellent both in terms of intelligence and the exchange of information," he added.

"Also the sense of solidarity that this is all civilised people from whatever position against barbaric people who commit these types of terrorist offences," he said.

"That message has got to be constantly reinforced so that the small number of extremists does not grow larger," he said.

"Constantly we need to be looking at ways in which we enhance the cooperation in the fight against terrorism and there will be strong statement, I hope, coming out of the United Nations Millennium summit in September on this," Blair said.

Erdogan added that terrorists were trying to force a wedge between Muslims and Western governments.

"The aim of terrorism is to bring the West and Islam against each other," he said.