Sources: Turkish official won't ask Israel about strike in Syria - Haaretz

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Mon., October 15, 2007 ,

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		Turkish Chief of Staff General Yasar Buyukanit (AP)

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Last update - 08:48 12/10/2007

Sources: Turkish official won't ask Israel about strike in Syria

By Barak Ravid, Amos Harel and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents

On his visit to Jerusalem next week, Turkish Chief of Staff General Yasar Buyukanit will focus on his country's strategic and defense relationship with Israel and not on the air strike the Israel Defense Forces allegedly carried out in Syria last month, defense sources said Thursday.

Buyukanit's official visit is to reciprocate the one carried out by former IDF Chief of Staff, Dan Halutz, nearly 18 months ago.

Buyukanit's visit to Israel will take place about seven weeks after an Israeli operation against Syria, during which Ankara maintains that Israeli fighters violated Turkish airspace. Political sources in Jerusalem said that the visit is a sign that there is no tension between the two countries over this issue.

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Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar Assad was quoted in a Tunisian daily as saying that Turkey is mediating between Damascus and Jerusalem in preparation for negotiators.

Turkish media were first to report that following the Israeli strike against Syria, two external fuel tanks, which Ankara said were jettisoned by Israel air force F-15s, had been found in southern Turkey.

In response to the incident, the charge d'affaires at Israel's embassy in Ankara was summoned to the Foreign Ministry there for clarifications, and was presented with an official Turkish protest. Senior Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Ali Babacan have restated Ankara's demands for a clarification from Israel.

However, well-placed sources said yesterday that the visit of the Turkish Chief of Staff "is not related to the strike carried out by the air force in Syria and the matter of the fuel tanks."

"The clarifications that Turkey has requested will be provided through other channels," the sources added.

Political sources in Jerusalem noted that in spite of Turkish statements to the media, the subject of the fuel tanks were not raised at any point during the talks Babacan had with Israeli officials earlier this week.

Trying to play down the timing for the visit of the Turkish Chief of Staff, IDF sources explained that it was a reciprocal visit scheduled many months ago. However, military sources noted that at the center of his visit lie the strategic and defense relationship between Israel and Turkey.

During his stay here, Buyukanit will meet with Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi and other senior officers in the defense establishment. A meeting with Defense Minister Ehud Barak is also possible.

Buyukanit will visit some of the military industries in Israel, and will discuss the future of joint training exercises between the two military forces. In August, the navies of the two countries held a joint search and rescue exercise in the eastern Mediterranean. There are also regular joint exercises involving the two air forces.

The Turkish Chief of Staff will also discuss with Israeli officials issues of procurement that involve the upgrading of Turkish systems with Israeli technologies.

An event of personal significance to Buyukanit, will be the ceremony for the laying of a corner stone for a memorial to the Ottoman soldiers who died here during World War I. Buyukanit's grandfather, an officer in the Ottoman army, died here during that war.

Meanwhile, Syria's Bashar Assad said yesterday in an interview to Al-Shuruq, a Tunisian daily, that during the past six months Turkey had renewed its mediation efforts through frequent visits by officials from Ankara to Damascus. Assad noted that the Turkish officials are playing a role in preparing the ground for negotiations with Syria.

His statements were also reported in the official Syrian news agency, Sana.

Assad reiterated in the interview that Syria expects that negotiations will be held under U.S. auspices and with American participation, and that the Golan Heights must be restored to Syrian sovereignty.

The Syrian president added that Damascus may not participate in the international summit scheduled at Annapolis next month, because there is insufficient clarity about the reasons for holding it.

Yesterday, outgoing deputy Chief of Staff Major General Moshe Kaplinsky, expressed his support for the renewal of negotiations with Syria during an interview on Channel 10.

"There is great advantage in removing Syria from the Axis of Evil," he said. "If the conditions for this is possible, it can be done."

Kaplinsky says that his view is shared by other senior officers in the IDF who have expressed this view to the political leadership on numerous occasions.

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1.	Israel and Turkey`s common enemy: Syria	08:20	\|	Conroy	12/10/07

2.	Don`t bet on it!	09:47	\|	Palestinian Brit	12/10/07

3.	Thats at this moment	11:41	\|	Chris Linthwaite	12/10/07

4.	THE COMMON INTERESTS	11:51	\|	Iskander	12/10/07

5.	Turkey+ Israel +India=fantastic group.	12:36	\|	Alan	12/10/07

6.	Upgrading Turkish systems with Israeli technology.	12:43	\|	Maureen Ann	12/10/07

7.	# 3 Linthwaite	14:04	\|	Lynn	12/10/07

8.	Turkey is an important ally	14:46	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	12/10/07

9.	Israel and Turkey	15:05	\|	ari	12/10/07

10.	Perhaps	16:58	\|	uri	12/10/07

11.	#7 Lynn	17:26	\|	Chris Linthwaite	12/10/07

12.	#9 Ari	17:46	\|	Stephen Isherwood	12/10/07

13.	Chris Linthwaite - About the Armenian issue	18:25	\|	David Israel	12/10/07

14.	HE`S COMING TO EXPRESS THE	18:33	\|	Robert	12/10/07

15.	The real reason for the visit?	19:03	\|	Yonatan	12/10/07

16.	Turkey is closer to Arab/Muslim world than before	19:06	\|	Rami	12/10/07

17.	Nor would I be surprised	19:07	\|	Yonatan	12/10/07

18.	Turkish-Syrian relations are very amicable now	19:07	\|	Eric	12/10/07

19.	turkish militray is a TRAITOR to other middle eastern nations	22:27	\|	JACKAL	12/10/07

20.	Why should Turkey asked to be lied to?	04:29	\|	Mark Lincoln	13/10/07

21.	The Turkish Government has made a terrible mistake	04:34	\|	Mark Lincoln	13/10/07

22.	#2 Palestinian Brit	05:41	\|	* BEN JABO	13/10/07

23.	#6 Maureen Ann	05:44	\|	* BEN JABO	13/10/07

24.	#19 Jackass	05:51	\|	* BEN JABO	13/10/07

25.	#2, Palestinian Brit...	07:23	\|	Silvienne	13/10/07

26.	# 20,21 Mark, you don`t know anything on that subject....	08:49	\|	Misha	13/10/07

27.	No 25 No deals	08:51	\|	Palestinian Brit	13/10/07

28.	Turks hate and despise Arabs	09:04	\|	garrick	13/10/07

29.	# A lot of things were overlooked by US/Israel in order to...	09:21	\|	Misha	13/10/07

30.	turkey israel	10:13	\|	mikel	13/10/07

31.	Mark Lincoln	14:22	\|	Yosemite	13/10/07

32.	Sorry Armenians	14:33	\|	Yosemite	13/10/07

33.	Mark Lincoln. Israel helps Turkey in the war againt PKK	17:29	\|	David Israel	13/10/07

34.	#25 Silvienne - Who cares what the Daily Mail said	17:54	\|	* BEN JABO	13/10/07

35.	The armenian issue	19:47	\|	Ronald	13/10/07

36.	#8. Not just "some" congress people...	03:07	\|	Persian CAT	14/10/07

37.	#34, Ben Jabo...	03:20	\|	Silvienne	14/10/07

38.	#36 Persian whatever	17:07	\|	* BEN JABO	14/10/07

39.	#37 Silvienne	17:11	\|	* BEN JABO	14/10/07

40.	Hello Turkey whose side are u on RIGHT ???	19:51	\|	M. Segal	14/10/07

41.	#40 M. Segal mn	23:55	\|	* BEN JABO	14/10/07

42.	Thank you Ben - jaman 2006 last August RIGHT ???	04:11	\|	M. Segal	15/10/07

43.	#42 M. Segal	17:16	\|	* BEN JABO	15/10/07

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