Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., June 06, 2008 Sivan 3, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:05 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Syrian President Bashar Assad. Last update - 23:45 05/06/2008 Turkey: U.S. backs mediation bid for Syrian-Israeli peace By Reuters Tags: Syria, Israel, Bashar Assad  Turkey is sure the United States backs the indirect peace talks it is mediating between Israel and Syria, Ankara's foreign minister said on Thursday. Speaking after he met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan sought to dispel the idea that Washington - which has sought to isolate Damascus - had offered only lukewarm support for the dialogue between Israel and Syria. Babacan also stressed the importance of the Israel-Syria track, saying "it seems that the international community really has been waiting for this for a while." Advertisement "The Syria-Israeli track is now open again and we hope that that reaches a much-expected result," Babacan told reporters at a joint news conference with Rice at the State Department. Israel and Syria announced last month that they had begun a dialogue mediated by Turkey with the aim of a comprehensive peace deal, the first confirmation of negotiations between the longtime enemies in eight years. Once the talks were announced, U.S. officials said they would welcome a peace agreement between the two countries, but made clear their focus would be on the Israeli-Palestinian Mideast peace track. Babacan said that the United States had been one of the first countries to make public statements of support for the Syria-Israel dialogue. "We have no doubt about it," he told a reporter who asked whether he wished for stronger U.S. support. "We are happy" about U.S. backing for the process. Turkey has good ties with both Israel and Syria. The relationship between Turkey and the United States, NATO allies, has improved in recent years after being strained by Turkey's refusal to allow Washington to build up forces on its territory ahead of the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The Bush administration walked away from high-level contacts with the Syrians after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in 2005. The United States suspects Syria of the killing, a charge Syria denies. Assad: Israel not serious about peace with Syria Syrian President Bashar Assad said Thursday that if Israel keeps insisting that recently renewed peace talks between the two nations resume from scratch, it would signify that Israel was not serious about reaching a deal with Syria. Israel and Syria said last month they had launched indirect peace talks mediated by Turkish officials, the first negotiations between the two sides in eight years. The previous attempt to achieve a peace agreement came close to a deal over the Golan Heights - the territory Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War which Syria demands back in exchange for peace - but broke down in 2000 over control of the shore of Sea of Galilee, from which Israel takes much of its water. Assad said during a visit to Kuwait that the Israelis were insisting that negotiations restart from scratch and that the progress made in the earlier talks in the 1990s be canceled. "This signals that Israel does not desire peace and is not willing to reach it," he said in comments carried by Kuwait's state news agency KUNA. "We are now testing the water... and this means regaining the occupied Golan... and if we reach a solution on this issue then what remains are other issues that are the second stage of talks." Assad also dismissed Israeli demands that Syria give up its alliance with Iran as a condition for peace. Israeli officials have said a peace deal depends on Syria distancing itself from Iran and severing ties with the Lebanese guerilla movement Hezbollah and the militant Palestinian group Hamas. "We do not accept the imposition of conditions on us that are linked to countries that have nothing to do with the peace..." he said, adding that Iran had welcomed the talks. "Should we establish relations with Israel and lose our relations with the world?" Many analysts say U.S. hostility to Syria makes a peace deal with Israel unlikely before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office in January. Assad: Diplomatic ties with Lebanon possible after national unity cabinet forms Assad says establishing diplomatic ties with Lebanon will be possible if a national unity Cabinet is formed in Beirut. Assad, in an interview with Kuwaiti newspapers published Thursday, says it was not suitable to open an embassy in Beirut when relations between the two countries were not good. But he says that after last month's Doha agreement that ended a political stalemate in Lebanon, things started going in a better direction. The Arab-League brokered deal allowed for the election of a president and paved the way for a 30-member unity Cabinet, including members of Syria's ally Hezbollah. Damascus dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades before the outcry over the 2005 assassination of former premier Rafik Hariri forced it to withdraw its troops from that country. Related articles: Syria: Olmert's political weakness may affect recently renewed peace talks Report: U.S. urges UN to find secret nuclear facilities in Syria Assad: Lebanon should talk with Israel if negotiations progress Bookmark to del.icio.us   Terrorist donuts U.S. Arabs irate over criticism of celebrity cook's kaffiyeh. All the way to hell Rosner's blog: It's Obama's good intentions that pro-Israel activists fear.   1.   Syrian supply of weapons . 15:37  |  Joshua 05/06/08   2.   Ha! 16:17  |  J K 05/06/08   3.   ASS`AD DOES NOT WANT PEACE BUT ISRAEL PIECE BY PIECE 16:35  |  Iskander 05/06/08   4.   Damask is a Jewish land 17:22  |  Sal 05/06/08   5.   Ya, let`s START from SCRATCH. 17:43  |  The Archives 05/06/08   6.   This Truce is complicated. Start from SCRATCH! 18:17  |  The Archives 05/06/08   7.   no *need* of `talk` w/ asswad. iran & syria to be bombed. 18:26  |  frenz 05/06/08   8.   STALLING TACTIC AND A SHOW 18:54  |  Arik Silverman 05/06/08   9.   If only wanted Syrian land back, he`d be OK with the Int`l Border 19:01  |  JP 05/06/08   10.   The Arab Mentality 19:11  |  PersianLily 05/06/08   11.   If Iran truly approves the talks, they should be abandoned 20:01  |  McQueen 05/06/08   12.   Fools speak well of themselves... 20:18  |  Webster 05/06/08   13.   About Time..... 20:50  |  Dolly 05/06/08   14.   # 6 PersianLily 21:06  |  American in NY 05/06/08   15.   With a face like that (ASSAD) 21:10  |  ottomatik 05/06/08   16.   What a joke. The dorktator makes demands 23:22  |  Denise Thompson 05/06/08   17.   Land for Peace 23:34  |  Slibovitz 05/06/08   18.   Golan and peace: which peace 23:51  |  siem 05/06/08   19.   Demanding to strech his feet in sea of Galilee and fingerpointing 01:12  |  Fortuna Benmayor 06/06/08   20.   Time to come out of the closet, Mr. Bush. 16:08  |  Stephen. 06/06/08

Read & React Olmert: Broad Gaza military operation closer than ever Responses: 106 Bradley Burston: Leave it to Fox News to elect Obama Responses: 66 Mofaz: Israel attack on Iran 'unavoidable' if nuclear program continued Responses: 116 Neve Gordon: When Israelis took driving lessons in Gaza Responses: 15 Yoel Marcus: Obama and the assembly lines of Jewish cliches Responses: 7 Rosner's Domain Obama and Jerusalem: did you really believe him? Guest: Marrying within the faith isn't racism - it's self preservation Should you mess with the Zohan? (WTR) Poll: Philip Roth, Victor Frankl or Leon Uris? What did Obama say to Joe Lieberman? (WTR) More Headlines 20:24 5 Qassams and 5 mortar shells slam into Negev 16:43 Mofaz: Israel attack on Iran 'unavoidable' if nuclear program continued 03:43 PM to Bush, Abbas: I'll weather legal storm, stay in office 18:12 Obama's pro-Israel speech before AIPAC riles Arab press 19:05 Thousands attend 10th annual Gay Pride parade in Tel Aviv 00:50 Israel lags behind Sudan, Pakistan in number of women in legislature 18:16 New database gathers tales of Shanghai's Holocaust refugees 01:36 Olmert hints major Gaza operation is imminent 22:24 A rabbi, an imam and a priest discuss their 'painful verses' 03:07 Olmert aides: Progress made with U.S. on forging common view on Iran 03:54 IDF spokesman: Announce war casualties only once a day 05:20 New radar system in the works to detect mortars from Gaza Previous Editions Select Day 05 jun 04 jun 03 jun 02 jun 01 jun 30 may 29 may 28 may 27 may 26 may 25 may 23 may

Special Offers Advertisement Dead Sea Products Buy Dead Sea mineral skin care and beauty products. Coupon code Haaretz for 10% off. Jerusalem of Gold Luxury apartments in Jerusalem's finest location Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Istudy Learn Hebrew in 3 months The Terraces Your Ultimate Coastal Address On Nitza Boulevard, North Netanya Together Celebrating Israel's 60th The Jewish Agency and You - together making history Pardes Institute Summer Sessions http://www.pardes.org.il/ Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved