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Last update - 16:59 20/10/2009
Turkey: Syria will accept only us as mediator in Israel talks
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Turkey, Israel News, Erdogan 

Advisers to Turkey's prime minister have said that Syria would accept only their country as a mediator in peace talks with Israel, after Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu recently voiced doubts that Ankara could continue in the role.

Following a crisis in relations between Israel and Turkey last week, Netanyahu said he objects to Turkey resuming its role as mediator and does not see how the country can remain "an honest broker."

The aides relayed the message to Balad MK Jamal Zahalka, who was in Istanbul to participate in a forum which included representatives from Middle Eastern and European states.
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They said neither the Syrians nor the Turks are of the belief that Israel is interested in advancing peace talks with Syria, given Netanyahu's public refusal to relinquish the Golan Heights, a key Syrian demand.

Zahalka told Haaretz that the Turkish premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had adopted a more moderate tone when discussing Turkey's readiness to help push the peace process between Israel and Syria forward if and when both countries so desire.

He quoted Erdogan as saying that the Iranian nuclear impasse cannot be resolved militarily. Diplomacy is the only avenue to diffuse the crisis, the Turkish leader said. Ankara would also be willing to serve as a mediator between Iran and the international community, Erdogan told participants at the conference.

The Turkish premier said that ultimately the Middle East should be free of weapons of mass destruction, Zahalka said.

Erdogan also repeated Turkey's call for the lifting of the blockade on Gaza, which has become "a large prison for a million-and-a-half Palestinians."

Two weeks ago, tensions flared between the two countries after Turkey banned Israel from participating in a NATO air force drill. Ankara further strained relations last week when it refused to take off the air a television drama depicts Israeli soldiers killing Palestinian children.


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      1.   No loss, nothing much to talk about anyway 15:00  |  Sean 20/10/09
      2.   Absolute proof of the Moslem Turkish Bias 15:11  |  Binyamin Dissen 20/10/09
      3.   TURKEY-WE MAY BE CRAZY BUT WE ARE NOT STUPID 15:12  |  Rich 20/10/09
      4.   Don`t you see - Turkey is honest! 15:15  |  Annon 20/10/09
      5.   Erdogan mediator? Never.... 15:16  |  Nora Tel viv 20/10/09
      6.   Israel v. Turkey 15:21  |  Phillipe 20/10/09
      7.   Then there`ll be no talks and you can forget the Golan 15:31  |  Paraclete 20/10/09
      8.   Annon`s Delusion and Phillipe`s Threat 15:52  |  Brad 20/10/09
      9.   Turkey cannot be a broker 15:54  |  gorm 20/10/09
      10.   Get real Annon 16:10  |  Ki`emli 20/10/09
      11.   Fox Guarding the chiken 16:13  |  Canadian Guy 20/10/09
      12.   A Turkish saying 16:23  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      13.   Gee....I wonder why....like Iran 16:35  |  A TRUE American 20/10/09
      14.   The lack of tourism is working 16:39  |  Israeli 20/10/09
      15.   Don`t you see - Turkey is honest! 16:42  |  Annon 20/10/09
      16.   do i see a pattern here? 16:43  |  peter rouget 20/10/09
      17.   Translation: Syria does not want peace 16:43  |  fo realz 20/10/09
      18.   As A Meat Eater I Only Accept Turkey... 16:53  |  Yosemite 20/10/09
      19.   to #12 David Israel 17:04  |  Ferho 20/10/09
      20.   Erdogan supports hamas, therefore cannot be in this game 17:12  |  mehmet 20/10/09
      21.   for once in a lifetime, I agree with David Israel 17:21  |  mehmet 20/10/09
      22.   #12 amazing 17:25  |  heretic 20/10/09
      23.   mehmet - don`t compare bibi to Erdogan 17:57  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      24.   #21 mehmet....for once I can agree with you 18:01  |  Lynn 20/10/09
      25.   Netanyahu has never had any intention of 18:10  |  r cummings 20/10/09
      26.   Why Turkey was NEVER an honest mediator 18:27  |  fo realz 20/10/09
      27.   Turkey has spent a decade 18:27  |  Mark Lincoln 20/10/09
      28.   It`s about time that Israel made it clear 18:38  |  Rafé 20/10/09
      29.   r cummins 18:42  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      30.   #23 that erbakan signed agreement with israel in 1996 18:44  |  heretic 20/10/09
      31.   Kurds or Armenians would be better 18:50  |  Texan 20/10/09
      32.   r cummings - and finally let me clarify your words 18:52  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      33.   Syria & Turkey 18:56  |  Partha Ray 20/10/09
      34.   # 21 (mehmet)Turkey as mediator 19:00  |  erdinch 20/10/09
      35.   Now that they are bedfellows 19:13  |  Sabra 20/10/09
      36.   Syria / Obama peace deal!!! 19:14  |  Col [Res] Cohen 20/10/09
      37.   what about the US ? 19:24  |  Marco 20/10/09
      38.   heretic - yes there is and I am one 19:26  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      39.   Comedy Central 19:29  |  A Turk 20/10/09
      40.   Comedy Central Part 2 19:31  |  A Turk 20/10/09
      41.   Shouldn`t Syria announce such a thing instead of Turkey 19:36  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      42.   Turk From Yesilkoy 19:41  |  David Isarel 20/10/09
      43.   Turk from Yesilkoy 19:51  |  A Turk 20/10/09
      44.   #38 good to know that. 19:52  |  heretic 20/10/09
      45.   Turks trust in gold, not in paper with inkt (dollars) 20:04  |  Hasan 20/10/09
      46.   I sed to play football infront of Cinar hotel 20:06  |  David Isarel 20/10/09
      47.   Hasan Hasan aman aman 20:15  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      48.   The new Ottoman empire 20:23  |  David 20/10/09
      49.   Let Syria and Turkey Negotiate Over Alexandretta 20:28  |  massaraksh 20/10/09
      50.   Moshe Kamhi 20:34  |  Cem 20/10/09
      51.   Israel and Syria did Talk until Israel Walked Away 20:55  |  Stephen 20/10/09
      52.   Hasan 20:57  |  A Turk 20/10/09
      53.   David from Marseilles 21:08  |  David Israel 20/10/09
      54.   OK, bye...Syria doesnt want peace, so be it 21:09  |  David 20/10/09
      55.   The future of secularism in Turkey is really in danger 21:23  |  mehmet 20/10/09
      56.   David Israel the Yesilkoy of your youth is gone 21:27  |  mehmet 20/10/09
      57.   # 42 David Israel from NY 21:38  |  erdinch 20/10/09
      58.   Good points David Israel 22:00  |  r cummings 20/10/09
      59.   Turkish Arragance. So what. 22:28  |  semsem 20/10/09
      60.   No Talks to Syria without Turkey 22:30  |  Brazilian Jew 20/10/09
      61.   We don`t need a mediator nor an Ottoman Empire 23:00  |  People of the World 20/10/09
      62.   above 23:52  |  moishe 20/10/09
      63.   Turkey does not need permission to assume the role of mediator. 02:03  |  Ibrahim 21/10/09
      64.   Quite right nothing left to negociate RIGHT ??? 03:55  |  M. S. 21/10/09
      65.   Ibrahim - and no country is obliged to accept it 16:36  |  David Israel 21/10/09
      66.   Turks and Jews stop, Armenian haters doing it 23:15  |  Mark 24/10/09
      67.   Wait, where`s the mediator to talk with Turkey? 17:30  |  Israel 09/11/09
      68.   to all israelis 23:31  |  honest broker 16/11/09
      69.   Turkey as mediator, they are ""nuts" 19:19  |  charro 22/11/09
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