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Last update - 19:09 05/01/2009
Turkey wants international monitors to ensure Gaza truce
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Israel News, Hamas, Israel 

Turkey's foreign minister said Monday his country favors a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas ensured by international monitors, adding that Turkey was willing to contribute to such a mission.

The statement came during a news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, who arrived in Turkey to discuss ways to establish a cease-fire.


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"We think that any solution should be guaranteed by the international community and there is a need for a group of international monitors for any solution to be sustainable," Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said. "Turkey would not shy away from such a mission if it were asked to contribute."

Al-Moallem said Turkey and Syria were working toward uniting their efforts to get a cease-fire and get border crossings open.

Turkey has criticized Israel for its ground offensive into Gaza and called on the United Nations to take steps to end the violence.

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused Israel of committing "inhuman" acts in Gaza that would cause it to self-destruct.

In an interview with Al Jazeera television network, the Turkish prime minister said Israel hurt its relations with Turkey by attacking Gaza, and will be punished.

Erdogan telephoned the prime ministers of Russia, Britain and Italy requesting support to "mobilize the international community" for an urgent truce, a senior government official told The Associated Press. He requested anonymity because he was not authorized to make statements to the press.

In the wake of his visit to the Middle East on Monday, Erdogan voiced his support of Hamas and said Turkey would act as a mediator between the Islamist organization and the United Nations Security Council.

He further stressed that Israel was responsible for violating the six-month cease-fire with Hamas by keeping the coastal strip blockaded.

Egyptian officials said Monday that Cairo was set to demand an immediate cease-fire from Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli forces moved into their 10th day of a military offensive on the coastal territory.

Hamas plans to send a delegation to Egypt on Monday for the first diplomatic talks since the launch of a 10-day-old Israel Defense Forces offensive in the Gaza Strip, an official of the Islamist group has said.

Hamas official Ayman Taha said a Hamas delegation would head to Cairo "answering an Egyptian invitation to hold discussions." A senior Palestinian official said on Friday that Egypt had launched contacts with Hamas to achieve a truce.

The Hamas visit to Egypt would coincide with the expected visit there of French President Sarkozy, who has also launched a European-backed diplomatic push for a cease-fire. Taha did not say whether the delegation would include Hamas members from Gaza or from elsewhere.

Also Monday, exiled Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzouk said the organization is open to international initiatives for a truce in Gaza but insisted any proposal must guarantee Israeli withdrawal and an end to the blockade on the besieged territory.

Abu Marzouk vowed that the Palestinian Islamic group would keep fighting an uneven war with Israel rather than return to the blockade, one of the grievances cited by Hamas when it chose not to renew a truce with Israel last month.

"Any initiative not based on ending the aggression, opening the border crossings and an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip has no chance of succeeding," Abu Marzouk told Reuters in an interview in Damascus.

"The defeat of the enemy and its failure to achieve its objectives must be reflected in the situation to come. I agree that the rules of the game must change, but in Hamas' favor," said Abu Marzouk, who lives in Syria along with other members of the group's exiled leadership.

Israel launched a ground offensive deep into the Gaza Strip on Saturday in an effort to stop rocket attacks from Hamas-controlled Gaza, which have traumatized southern Israel. Over 500 Palestinians have been killed since the Gaza escalation began, at least a quarter of them civilians, a UN agency said.

The UN chief on Monday urged the divided Security Council to work toward a speedy end to the escalating crisis in Gaza and planned to meet Monday with Arab ministers flying to New York to press for an immediate halt to the violence.

Late Saturday, the United States blocked approval of a Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire and expressing serious concern at the escalation of violence after Israeli tanks and artillery began a ground assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, council diplomats said.

In a statement released Sunday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said: "Given the crucial juncture at which we have arrived in the search for a cease-fire, I appeal to all members of the international community to display the unity and commitment required to bring this escalating crisis to an end."

On Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced Israel's ground operation as "brutal aggression."

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  • Israel okays call-up tens of thousands of IDF reservists
  • Hezbollah urges Hamas to 'kill as many Israeli soldiers as they can' during Gaza op
  • EU presidency: Israel ground op in Gaza 'defensive not offensive'
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      1.   WHERE was Endrogan for the last ten thousand missiles? Fired at 09:33  |  PETER SM 05/01/09
      2.   Mr. Erdogan how much human you are with PKK 09:55  |  Daniel 05/01/09
      3.   Turkeys treatment of the Kurds 09:59  |  Peter van Schie 05/01/09
      4.   Turkey remember what you did to the Armenians 10:15  |  George 05/01/09
      5.   Israelis & jew , listen to a Turkish jew... 10:18  |  S.K 05/01/09
      6.   ERDOGAN`S PARTY AKP TURKISH BRANCH OF HAMAS/MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD 10:35  |  Secular Turk 05/01/09
      7.   Smart Turkey 10:41  |  Doug 05/01/09
      8.   Turkey and Anti-semitism 10:47  |  sy 05/01/09
      9.   "Inhuman" 10:56  |  JonathanInTelAviv 05/01/09
      10.   Erdogan`s contribution to fair diplomacy 10:57  |  simon_Of_Sydney 05/01/09
      11.   Erdogan voiced his support of Hamas 11:11  |  El_Justiciero 05/01/09
      12.   Jordanians are calling... 11:15  |  Maureen Ann 05/01/09
      13.   to all jews in Turkey 11:27  |  Jozef 05/01/09
      14.   Turkey 11:31  |  Daniel 05/01/09
      15.   Erdogan there are reasons why we dont want you in europe!! 11:53  |  Josef 05/01/09
      16.   SHOWING HIS REAL FACE 12:05  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 05/01/09
      17.   The conflict will not be over until Hamas looses its will and ... 12:11  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 05/01/09
      18.   its not about ERDOGAN 12:17  |  yosi 05/01/09
      19.   Turkey 12:20  |  Avi 05/01/09
      20.   Secular Turk (6), could you please give the source or link 12:40  |  Jew- and Bookburner 05/01/09
      21.   Egypt finally gets it? First release Shalit, then talk. 12:41  |  Realist 05/01/09
      22.   Al-Qaida bombed Turkey but Turkey helps terrorists! 12:43  |  Realist 05/01/09
      23.   Like Beiling Like Olmert 13:02  |  Yaron 05/01/09
      24.   Eliminate Hamas, not civilians 13:04  |  Johan S 05/01/09
      25.   No Cease Fire, Only Total Surrender 13:14  |  Baruch Gold 05/01/09
      26.   Egypt acting wise 13:19  |  Seff 05/01/09
      27.   cLERLY TIME FOR THE MILITARY SECULAR GOVT TO TAKE OVER AGAIN IN T 13:20  |  v hardman 05/01/09
      28.   Dont like Israel and hate Hamas 13:31  |  Persian 05/01/09
      29.   Be supportive to stop the violence on civilians 13:33  |  Kemal 05/01/09
      30.   Abbas used the same words to describe Hamas`s takeover 13:39  |  Jo 05/01/09
      31.   #6 Secular turk.....as always the Turkish 13:46  |  Lynn 05/01/09
      32.   MAURE#EN Jordanians massacred Pals by the thousands when Hussein 13:48  |  PETER SM 05/01/09
      33.   #5 SK I am VERY troubled to read your Posting 13:54  |  Alan 05/01/09
      34.   Never heard that Turks killed 500 Kurds ! 13:59  |  John 05/01/09
      35.   To Kemal 14:02  |  Daniel 05/01/09
      36.   Re Hamas 14:10  |  Daniel 05/01/09
      37.   Re Hamas 2 14:11  |  Daniel 05/01/09
      38.   Egypt can demand that Hamas accept rational thinking? Really,,, 14:14  |  Michael J 05/01/09
      39.   to Jozef = EUROPE 14:27  |  Sabina 05/01/09
      40.   To Kemal 1 14:28  |  Sam Viroslav 05/01/09
      41.   Kemal 14:29  |  Ehud 05/01/09
      42.   Erdogan does not represent 14:30  |  qwert 05/01/09
      43.   #31- Omellettes and Eggs, and more omellettes 14:32  |  dyinglikeflies 05/01/09
      44.   Kemal 2 14:37  |  Sam Viroslav 05/01/09
      45.   Maureen Ann 12 - the jordanians have 16:09  |  ChanahS 05/01/09
      46.   to hardman 16:16  |  w 05/01/09
      47.   Israel`s is a fool 16:28  |  Alexei 05/01/09
      48.   Turkish journalists 16:31  |  Anonymous 05/01/09
      49.   Secular Turk 16:54  |  David Israel 05/01/09
      50.   Hamas Initiates and Maintains Escalating Crisis 17:00  |  Douglas Fireman 05/01/09
      51.   World knew this was coming and said nothing to stop the rockets 17:01  |  Jordan 05/01/09
      52.   Erdogan slaughtered thousands of kurds.... 17:02  |  Ahmed 05/01/09
      53.   Jew And Bookburner - Erdogan`s words 17:04  |  David Israel 05/01/09
      54.   ZIONIST ENTITY LOOSING FRIENDS EVERYWHERE 17:04  |  TripleJump 05/01/09
      55.   To anonymous from Chicago 17:06  |  w 05/01/09
      56.   UNless Schalit is immediately released without conditions ....... 17:15  |  bernard ross 05/01/09
      57.   Alexei 17:18  |  Jozef 05/01/09
      58.   To all secular brave Turks 17:24  |  Jozef 05/01/09
      59.   Turkey Is Israel only remaining friend in the region with credibi 19:31  |  Samar 05/01/09
      60.   ISRAEL`S FIGHTING FOR TURKEY,TOO 19:39  |  Ian 05/01/09
      61.   Another turkish jew 20:53  |  D.K. 05/01/09
      62.   From another ex-Turkish Jew 23:21  |  Nisso 05/01/09
      63.   israelis just raise your head and look at the North 00:02  |  Matt P 06/01/09
      64.   to secular "Turk" 00:10  |  Matt P 06/01/09
      65.   Unbelievable 01:18  |  Ali Erarac 06/01/09
      66.   whole world is hypocritical 01:34  |  ilker 06/01/09
      67.   no fool 01:37  |  D 06/01/09
      68.   to Daniel 01:46  |  turkish + kurdish 06/01/09
      69.   To Daniel (35) 10:24  |  Kemal 06/01/09
      70.   To Ehud (41) 10:36  |  Kemal 06/01/09
      71.   everyone!! 12:19  |  someone 06/01/09
      72.   you r right 19:14  |  salom 17/01/09
      73.   Turkey forever 01:07  |  Ismail Taurus 18/01/09
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