Turkey welcomes historic Colombian peace deal

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's Foreign Ministry has welcomed the historic Colombian peace deal which ended the 52-year-old conflict between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

In a statement published on Tuesday, the ministry welcomed the deal which was signed on Monday, congratulating both sides and contributors.

"Turkey, as reiterated times and times before, will continue to contribute to the different aspects of the peace process," the statement said. "We hope that the referendum process will also be successfully completed with the people's will and the peace will be established permanently."

All eyes are now on an Oct. 2 plebiscite vote in which Colombians will have to decide whether to approve the peace accords. The most recent poll published Monday shows 65 percent of Colombians will approve the peace agreement.

President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC commander-in-chief Rodrigo Londono Echeverri, also known as Timoleon Jimenez, signed a historic peace agreement Monday at a ceremony that ended the longest conflict in the Western hemisphere.

"We have lived and we have suffered for 52 years through an armed conflict between sons of the same nation," Santos said before an audience of global dignitaries. "We say it loud and clear, no more war."

The document was signed with a pen made from a bullet to symbolize the transition from bullets to education and future.