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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni shaking hands with her Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan in Jerusalem on Sunday. (AP)
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Turkish FM, in J'lem: Israel must explain IAF strike on Syria
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan began talks Sunday with Israeli leaders, saying he wanted details of an Israel Air Force raid last month on a Syrian target near the border with his country.

Turkey has said it found fuel tanks allegedly dropped in its territory by IAF warplanes during the September 6 raid, a development Babacan has called unacceptable. Israel has kept a tight lid on reports about the incident.

"During my visit to Israel I'm expecting an explanation of what happened, and why it happened, Babacan said at a joint press conference in Jerusalem after meeting President Shimon Peres. We have not yet got an answer," Babacan said, before Peres intervened to halt further questioning by reporters.
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"I suggest not to go into too many details," Peres said, pokerfaced.

Israeli officials have maintained an unprecedented wall of silence over the affair and military censors have barred publication of any details, beyond the fact that the IAF attacked a military target in Syria on September 6.

Babacan also told Peres that Syria wants the upcoming Middle East peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland, to cover its dispute with Israel.

The Turkish envoy said in his meetings earlier Sunday with senior Syrian officials he "encouraged the leaders to take part in [United States President George] Bush's international conference, and I was explicitly told that they are interested in the Israel-Syria track being discussed at the negotiating table."

Peres said in response that if Syrian President Bashar Assad is serious, Israel will be ready to make peace, but that the Syrians are playing a double game. While they want peace, they also strengthening global terror, constituting an extremist Iranian satellite state and supporting Hezbollah and the downfall of the Lebanese regime, the president stated.

In televised remarks from a press conference in Damascus earlier in the day, Babacan said there was no Turkish collusion with its regional ally Israel over the air strike, which Syria said targeted an unused military building.

Babacan said Ankara would not allow Israel to use its territory or airspace to carry out a military strike against Syria. "I want to make it very clear that Turkish soil was not, and cannot not be, used for any kind of assault against Syria," he said.

On Monday Babacan is scheduled to meet Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and other senior Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Foreign media reports have said the air strike targeted a nuclear facility built with North Korean technology.

North Korea, which provides missile technology to Syria, has denied any nuclear link. Syria also has denied receiving North Korean nuclear help.

The air operation heightened tensions between Israel and Syria, which Israel and the United States have repeatedly criticized for its support for Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups and its close ties to Iran.

Babacan is on a regional tour that takes in Syria, Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Israel, his first overseas trip since becoming foreign minister August 29.

In Jerusalem on Sunday, Babacan met Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, but neither spoke to reporters.

A deeply pious Muslim, Babacan also visited the city's Dome of the Rock, one of Islam's holiest shrines.

Turkey FM warns of escalating tensions in Middle East
Babacan warned Sunday of escalating tensions in the Middle East and said the region is currently passing through a very delicate and sensitive stage.

Speaking in Damascus at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Moallem, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said he hoped to see progress at an upcoming U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference on all tracks, including Syria.

He did not elaborate, but in an interview with the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat newspaper published Sunday, Babacan said he hopes to see Syria participate in the conference, scheduled to be held in late November in the United States.

"We want the conference to achieve tangible results and not be just another meeting," he said. "If we want to achieve just and comprehensive peace, all (peace) tracks must be discussed."

At the press conference Sunday, Babacan said his country, which maintains good relations with both Syria and Israel, would continue its efforts to achieve peace in the region. Turkish media had reported that Babacan would play a mediation role between Syria and Israel.

Syria has said it will not attend the planned Mideast peace conference if the conference does not address Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Six Day war.

Babacan, who arrived in Damascus on Saturday, delivered a message from Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Assad on Sunday. Babacan said the talks were constructive and useful.

He warned that the region was passing through a very delicate and sensitive stage, particularly in Iraq, the Palestinian Authority and Lebanon.

Moallem said he discussed with Babacan, among other things, an upcoming conference of Iraq's neighbors to be held in Istanbul, Turkey later this month.

The Turkish minister is on a regional tour that includes Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Israel
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  1.   Memo to Turkish FM 16:17  |  Natallie Durson 07/10/07
  2.   Hello, Natallie 16:35  |  Simon 07/10/07
  3.   Natalie is correct for once 16:42  |  rich 07/10/07
  4.   HE IS COMING TO RETURN THE EJECTED 17:04  |  Robert 07/10/07
  5.   Naughty Durston 17:24  |  ottomatik 07/10/07
  6.   This time Turkey means it - unlike in past years 17:40  |  Joe 07/10/07
  7.   #1 and please don`t forget.. 17:46  |  Kris 07/10/07
  8.   #6 Joe from Fantasy Island 18:33  |  George Kaplan 07/10/07
  9.   Very well, take out Turkey as well. 18:35  |  Solon 07/10/07
  10.   #9 Say Solon 18:59  |  ballistic 07/10/07
  11.   Turkish policy 18:59  |  Observer 777 07/10/07
  12.   #6 Say Joe, right you are! 19:02  |  ballistic 07/10/07
  13.   airspace 19:04  |  artie lang 07/10/07
  14.   Will Turkey return that Syrian Land it is hanging on to? 19:25  |  Alan 07/10/07
  15.   Turkey is a member of NATO 19:32  |  Boycott 07/10/07
  16.   No. 13 Artie 19:41  |  Steve 07/10/07
  17.   # 1 Fatmah, I assure you, no exlanations are forthcomming... 19:59  |  Misha 07/10/07
  18.   Simon and THE TRUCE 20:05  |  Omran 07/10/07
  19.   Turkey 20:05  |  Brod 07/10/07
  20.   Trust not Turkey 20:21  |  Paul 07/10/07
  21.   Playing to the Crowd 20:32  |  Double Click 07/10/07
  22.   #12 Joe, history says otherwise 20:50  |  Oddvark 07/10/07
  23.   Boycott ...newsflash 20:51  |  British Academic 07/10/07
  24.   explanations 21:57  |  Shmuelshachor 07/10/07
  25.   How does Israel do it? 22:01  |  Paul 07/10/07
  26.   Arabs aren`t Syrian 22:02  |  Paul 07/10/07
  27.   so turks lecturing morals to others 22:04  |  Viken 07/10/07
  28.   And just why should Israel spill beans to Turkey? 22:04  |  Raymond from DC 07/10/07
  29.   Turkey 22:29  |  Steve 07/10/07
  30.   to #8 22:50  |  Ron 07/10/07
  31.   BABACAN IS OF CRYPTO-JEWISH ORIGIN 22:52  |  Yakup Kerido 07/10/07
  32.   Turkish FM, in J`lem: Israel must explain IAF strike on Syria 22:55  |  steve 07/10/07
  33.   Turkish FM, in J`lem: Israel must explain IAF strike on Syria 23:00  |  steve 07/10/07
  34.   Talking Turkey 23:08  |  Mr. Etzel 07/10/07
  35.   IAF strike 23:08  |  samuel 07/10/07
  36.   Breaking the habit.... 23:12  |  Esther 07/10/07
  37.   Turks & Syria talking out of both sides of their mouth 23:25  |  Kipperraes 07/10/07
  38.   Gender studies 23:30  |  Esther 07/10/07
  39.   #27 Viken That`s easy 23:35  |  JDross 07/10/07
  40.   Turkey got my memo! 23:52  |  Natallie Durson 07/10/07
  41.   IAF jets? Who do you believe? 00:07  |  Flickcool 08/10/07
  42.   ANY ISRAEL-SYRIAN SETTLEMENT MUST BE BASED ON "HATAY" MODEL 00:09  |  Joel Stein 08/10/07
  43.   Thump, and then THUMP 00:15  |  Mark Lincoln 08/10/07
  44.   Connect the dots. He said they said. 00:18  |  Chaim Gorenstein 08/10/07
  45.   Israel has to be nice to Turkey! 00:29  |  Maureen Ann 08/10/07
  46.   Turkey, the UAE, Saudi, the pattern 00:38  |  Mark Lincoln 08/10/07
  47.   ALI BABACAN BEY 00:46  |  hala 08/10/07
  48.   #23 British Academic 01:03  |  Boycott 08/10/07
  49.   Maureen Ann 01:18  |  David Isarel 08/10/07
  50.   Turkish military knew it and allowed it. 01:22  |  David Israel 08/10/07
  51.   Turkey 01:37  |  Dafydd Altair 08/10/07
  52.   #12 ballistic 01:39  |  American Soldier 08/10/07
  53.   Mr. Ali Babacan has a lot of explaining to do 01:42  |  Genuine Tosefta 08/10/07
  54.   HATRED CAN ONLY ENGENDER MORE HATRED 01:48  |  Mohamed Malleck 08/10/07
  55.   Turkish PM 01:51  |  Bear 08/10/07
  56.   This is not about hitting a nuclear facility in Syria(where`s the 02:04  |  lakshmi 08/10/07
  57.   Ron #30 02:07  |  George Kaplan 08/10/07
  58.   H.Res. 106 02:45  |  Ethel 08/10/07
  59.   Life 03:05  |  Stephen 08/10/07
  60.   Mohamed Malleck show your support 03:09  |  Free the World 08/10/07
  61.   Some foreign minister! 03:11  |  Webster 08/10/07
  62.   To #56 Partially right 03:13  |  Realist 08/10/07
  63.   I wouldn`t worry about it 03:34  |  Nechama 08/10/07
  64.   Explain Assad what the site was? 04:31  |  Fortuna Benmayor 08/10/07
  65.   # 10 ballistic 04:44  |  Lynn 08/10/07
  66.   #54 Mohamed Malleck - don`t listen to the haters 11:20  |  Slibovitz 08/10/07
  67.   #25, PAUL, and where was god all those other years? 13:52  |  VIPER 08/10/07
  68.   #49, DAVID ISRAEL, hence the reason 13:55  |  VIPER 08/10/07
  69.   # 66 Thanks Mr. Slibovitz 14:21  |  Mohamed Malleck 08/10/07
  70.   #65 Say Lynn---while that may be true 17:51  |  ballistic 08/10/07
  71.   #61 Say Webster 17:55  |  ballistic 08/10/07
  72.   #52 American Soldier 17:59  |  ballistic 08/10/07
  73.   Dry Up, Whingypants 21:27  |  Solon 08/10/07
  74.   # 73 Solon 23:24  |  Mohamed Malleck 08/10/07
  75.   #72 the idiot from Nevada 04:35  |  American Soldier 09/10/07
  76.   #75 American General : Let Me Know When you`re Done 06:00  |  Mohamed Malleck 09/10/07
  77.   #75 American Soldier 15:22  |  ballistic 09/10/07
  78.   #75, AMERICAN SOLDIER, the occupier 06:58  |  VIPER 10/10/07