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President Shimon Peres speaking before the Turkish parliament in Ankara on Tuesday. (Ch. 2)
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Last update - 18:42 13/11/2007
In Turkey, Peres gives first presidential address to Muslim legislature
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies
tags: Turkey, Tel Aviv, Israel 

ANKARA - In an historic first address to a Muslim state parliament by an Israeli president, Shimon Peres told Turkish lawmakers Tuesday that Israel is ready to end its decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.

In the first speech by an Israeli president before a Muslim legislature, Peres said, "Israel is determined to reach a two-state solution."

Peres expressed the gratitude of Israel to the people in Turkey who opened their doors to Jews when they were expelled from Spain in 1492. Turkish Sultan Beyazid II accepted Jews into the Ottoman Empire, the predecessor of modern Turkey, after they were expelled from Spain.
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"Here, they found a home of tolerance where they could freely practice their religion," Peres said in his speech, given in Hebrew and translated into Turkish. "I came here to express my gratitude to Turkey."

Turkey also aided Jews fleeing the Holocaust, including Turkish Jews abroad.

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas were among those in the audience in Turkey's 550-seat Parliament.

Earlier Tuesday, Abbas expressed optimisim on the prospects for peace, following a meeting with Peres in the Turkish capital.

"If peace comes and the occupation comes to an end, Israel will live in a sea of peace," Abbas said at a joint news conference with Peres.

Abbas said his administration was preparing for the upcoming Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland, aimed at relaunching peace negotiations between the two sides after they broke down amid violence seven years ago.

"We are working with our full force to ensure that the meeting in Annapolis is a success," he said.

Turkey asks Peres for a Turkish Cypriot representative office in Tel Aviv

Turkey has requested openning a Turkish Cypriot representative office in Tel Aviv, according to Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who raised the issue at his meeting with President Shimon Peres Monday.

Peres said he would have to discuss the matter with Israel's Foreign Ministry before replying.

The Israeli delegation to Turkey was surprised when Gul broached the matter of Turkish Cyprus at the first meeting. In 1974, following a coup against the democratic Cypriot government by the Greek military junta then ruling in Athens, Turkey invaded Cyprus and occupied the northern half of the island. In 1983 the Turkish minority there declared independence, which is seen by the world, apart from Turkey, as occupied territory of sovereign Cyprus.

Gul told Peres that Israel must halt settlement construction in the West Bank if it wishes to seriously pursue peace efforts with the Palestinians. "Israel's security is important, but one can't ignore Palestinian problems," he said. "Israel must stop building in settlements."

Palestinian leaders, he said, "spread out maps before me and show me the settlement growth. It doesn't leave me much to say on the matter."

Peres told a joint news conference that he believed that Israel could currently make peace with the Palestinians, but cautioned that the process might take time.

Gul told Peres that Damascus should be invited to the Annapolis peace summit at the end of the month, and that Syrian President Bashar Assad "is interested in real peace." Peres said "Assad needs to take action that shows he is serious, and come to Jerusalem."

The two presidents also discussed U.S. congressional legislation - to which Turkey is vehemently opposed - which labels the massacre of Armenians during World War I as a genocide.

"It's not a good idea to spoil relations between Turkey and Israel because of events from 90 years ago," Gul told Peres, "but we can't stand a situation in which every half year the issue is raised in the United States."

Regarding the Iranian nuclear threat, Peres told Gul that it is clear that Iran, which claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, is actually trying to develop nuclear arms. Gul disagreed, but said Turkey would not stand for Iran acquiring nuclear arms.

Peres requested that asked Gul send the Siloam inscription - describing the tunnel digging in King Hezkiya's days in 703 CE and now exhibited in Archaeological Museum of Istanbul - to Jerusalem for Israel's 60th anniversary.


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  1.   Islamist Gul, if you`re not left with "much to say" then shut up! 07:49  |  McQueen 13/11/07
  2.   If you want the office so badly, open it in Jerusalem 07:51  |  McQueen 13/11/07
  3.   Nada, Turkey 07:57  |  Genuine Tosefta 13/11/07
  4.   Canned story: "In Egypt, calls for peace bring waves of rebuke" 07:58  |  Genuine Tosefta 13/11/07
  5.   Turkey should first evacuate Turkish settlements in Cyprus 09:34  |  Genuine Tosefta 13/11/07
  6.   that "issue 90 years ago"... 10:23  |  Ruben 13/11/07
  7.   does gul stand for gullible? stop jewish settlements he requests 10:50  |  victor hardman 13/11/07
  8.   to #6 11:04  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  9.   Israel should say no: 11:09  |  Ron 13/11/07
  10.   Thank you engineer63 11:19  |  Mia 13/11/07
  11.   Turkey 11:44  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  12.   turkey 12:17  |  wiseUP 13/11/07
  13.   to Mia 12:33  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  14.   mia, you imbecile! Northern Cyprus is occupied Greek Cyprus 12:38  |  Doron Katz 13/11/07
  15.   Turkish propaganda 12:39  |  Ruben 13/11/07
  16.   To #8 Engineer; from another engineer regarding armenian 12:41  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 13/11/07
  17.   to Ruben 13:19  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  18.   to #16 13:30  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  19.   to Doron katz 13:48  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  20.   A real Diplomatic Turkey 14:04  |  Stephen. 13/11/07
  21.   From Mia to Doron 14:06  |  Mia 13/11/07
  22.   Turkey 14:10  |  David 13/11/07
  23.   Forget it Turkey 14:21  |  Stellios Marcou 13/11/07
  24.   to David 14:36  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  25.   To David from MIa 14:48  |  Mia 13/11/07
  26.   To engineer63 & to Mia 14:50  |  Yonni 13/11/07
  27.   to #23 15:00  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  28.   more reports of the blind leading the blind 15:04  |  victor hardman 13/11/07
  29.   To Engineer and Mia 15:11  |  David 13/11/07
  30.   "Sea of peace" = "We will push you into the sea. That`s peace." 15:16  |  McQueen 13/11/07
  31.   to Yonni 15:19  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  32.   To David, and bye to all 15:38  |  Mia 13/11/07
  33.   No end to the dispute if the Palestinians still refuse 15:40  |  Aviv Yaakobi 13/11/07
  34.   Easier Said Than Done. 15:43  |  Cool B 13/11/07
  35.   In the sea 15:47  |  ka 13/11/07
  36.   Israel has ALWAYS been ready for peace 15:48  |  Clickfool 13/11/07
  37.   to David 15:54  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  38.   of course. 16:00  |  khairi janbek 13/11/07
  39.   to victor hardman 16:03  |  engineer63 13/11/07
  40.   PERES SHOULD BE DETERMNED TO MAKE HIS CITIZENS LIVES BETTER 16:08  |  KEVIN 13/11/07
  41.   Congratulations, Israel !! 16:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/11/07
  42.   There was no peace before the "occupation" 16:15  |  Steven 13/11/07
  43.   ABBAS CANNOT BELIEVE HIS OWN FANTASY ! 16:19  |  R.Eason 13/11/07
  44.   Where are all the Turkophobics?? 16:28  |  Ahmet L 13/11/07
  45.   Reply to KA 16:28  |  Lolita Cohen-Zamir 13/11/07
  46.   David/Stockholm 16:33  |  Joe Slovo 13/11/07
  47.   Hrant Dink 16:38  |  Ethel 13/11/07
  48.   Good Job Israel! 16:43  |  Yosemite 13/11/07
  49.   Jobs for Palestinians 16:44  |  Ethel 13/11/07
  50.   End the Occupation! (the one the UN never addresses) 16:45  |  Richard S 13/11/07
  51.   Turkish born Israeli comments #1 16:49  |  Koby 13/11/07
  52.   #2 16:51  |  Koby 13/11/07
  53.   Israel Fixing Problem That US Libs Created 16:51  |  Yosemite 13/11/07
  54.   Palestinian State 16:54  |  Honest Observation 13/11/07
  55.   Palestinian State 16:59  |  Honest Observation 13/11/07
  56.   withdrawel = peace ... so simple 16:59  |  קובי 13/11/07
  57.   I felt sorry for the President of Israel in the Turkish Parliamen 17:09  |  Akram Zekaria 13/11/07
  58.   HEADLINE SHOULD READ: PEREZ RELEASES 400 TO MURDER MORE JEWS 17:10  |  Alon chiloni 13/11/07
  59.   What we hear from israel is peace 17:14  |  Dav 13/11/07
  60.   While Peres was talking in Turkey, Abu Alla, the former prime 17:19  |  Avihu 13/11/07
  61.   I hate to say this but the Muslims, in the end, will win 17:28  |  Christian 13/11/07
  62.   good that Peres came 17:32  |  mehmet 13/11/07
  63.   turkey and all moslem world helped the jews 17:38  |  isaiah 13/11/07
  64.   "Turkey helped Jews fleeing Holocaust" 17:46  |  Jake 13/11/07
  65.   61 isaiah the liar btw Arab lands are full of Jewish blood 17:49  |  Steven 13/11/07
  66.   engineer63 and Mia 17:50  |  David Israel 13/11/07
  67.   wiseUP from Istanbul 17:55  |  David Israel 13/11/07
  68.   Dorin Katz - imbecile is not appropriate as we argue 18:25  |  David Israel 13/11/07
  69.   So funny 18:36  |  Arab All The Way 13/11/07
  70.   northern Cyprus was a victim of greek phanaticism 18:42  |  PARIS 13/11/07
  71.   steve #65 18:48  |  isaiah 13/11/07
  72.   Mehmet - Goot thoughts but..... 18:57  |  David Israel 13/11/07
  73.   Israeli-Turkish relations 19:11  |  Avi Yerushalmi 13/11/07
  74.   We hope so, but the Occupation will end 2750. 19:12  |  El-Birawi 13/11/07
  75.   Zionists and Shabtai Zevi 19:13  |  Dovy 13/11/07
  76.   Jewish-Turkish bonds have natural muscle tone 19:13  |  Basat Tayfun(Turkey) 13/11/07
  77.   "Isaiah" #63, Jews expelled from Spain settled in Christendom too 19:18  |  Jake 13/11/07
  78.   jake, anti-zionism is not anti-semitism 19:20  |  mehmet 13/11/07
  79.   middle west`s starwar part 227 19:24  |  Clod