The Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, is going to Syria and Turkey to try to defuse tension between the two countries that's led to fears of a military confrontation.

Turkey accuses Syria of supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK -- an accusation which Damascus has denied.

Syria, for its part, is angry at Turkey's growing military ties with Israel and over problems with sharing the water of the Euphrates river.

Turkey's chief of staff General Huseyin Kivrikoglu has described the situation as an undeclared war.

The BBC Middle East correspondent says President Mubarak is well-placed to mediate because he's maintained good relations with both countries -- although a diplomatic solution will be difficult because some of the disputes have defied resolution for many years.