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Syrian President Bashar Assad. (AP)
Last update - 19:22 16/06/2008
Official: Latest Israel-Syria talks end in 'positive atmosphere'
By Barak Ravid and Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Israel, Turkey, Syria 

Two days of indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria in Turkey ended Monday, Israeli and Turkish officials said, adding that the atmosphere was positive and the contacts would continue.

An Israeli official said the talks covered practical matters as well as procedure, without giving details.


T
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he talks resumed on Sunday in Ankara, with negotiators aiming to prepare an agenda for a possible direct meeting next month.

Israel is represented in the talks by senior advisers to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Turgeman, who left for Ankara on Saturday night.

A senior Turkish source familiar with the talks said that at this stage there is still no talk of a meeting at the highest levels between Olmert and President Bashar Assad.

"It is still early to talk about diplomatic agreements between the two sides since there are many technical issues remaining since the previous meeting for which Damascus and Jerusalem offered answers around which the current discussions will revolve," the Turkish source said.

In response to an inquiry as to whether the two sides have began discussing the framework of a peace agreement, the Turkish source said, "This is too early a stage but it is clear that the talks are being held on the basis of an agreement in principle that Israel will withdraw from the Golan Heights in return for normalization of relations between Syria and Israel. The nature of that normalization, its extent and stages will be discussed at a later stage."

The same source added that the visit of President Assad to Paris next month may serve as "a significant launch pad for furthering the process; however Assad is expecting American mediation and this can only happen following the presidential elections in the United States."

Turgeman and Turbowicz will deliver a message to the Syrians that Israel is interested in continuing the ongoing indirect negotiations notwithstanding the complex domestic political situation at home.

The current round of talks is expected to last until Monday evening.

The departure of the two senior officials to Ankara was not readily apparent since they had been scheduled to attend meetings in Paris in preparation for the visit to Israel of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. However, the absence of the two aides at the cabinet meeting on Sunday revealed that their early departure had another purpose.

During a meeting Sunday with the governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, Olmert said that "furthering talks with Syria is the right thing to do, but it does not mean that Israel has relinquished anything. The way ahead is still long."

Sunday on Channel 2, Vice Premier Haim Ramon, a close associate of Olmert, was quoted as expressing his opposition to the way talks with Syria are being conducted, arguing "this is a strategic mistake and a prize for extremist Islam."

This round of talks in Turkey is the first since it was announced on May 21 in both Jerusalem and Damascus that the two countries planned to renew negotiations, indirectly through the good services of Turkish mediators.

Related articles:
  • Israel-Syria talks enter second round in Turkey
  • Report: Turkey and Syria consider joint nuclear energy project
  • Netanyahu, on Syria talks: Peace with dictatorial state won't last
  • Uzi Benziman / Peace isn't a discount sale
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      1.   Will the Dicator of Great Syria leave the GreanCrimeSyndicate? 03:46  |  Arthur 16/06/08
      2.   Olmert is insane. 04:21  |  Dan Patton 16/06/08
      3.   Turbo-Diplomacy? 04:34  |  Jeff Northridge 16/06/08
      4.   Guarantees 04:50  |  Jimbo 16/06/08
      5.   Communication is a good thing. 05:02  |  Just remember... 16/06/08
      6.   No change in Syria`s relationship with Iran. 08:11  |  Jean Van Daem 16/06/08
      7.   Peace--is it possible? 08:30  |  ATLAS 16/06/08
      8.   watch 08:36  |  john 16/06/08
      9.   No Peace unless ... 09:32  |  Shimon Cleopas 16/06/08
      10.   TO DIVERT PEOPLE ATTENTION FROM EAST JERUSALEM, AS USUAL 09:35  |  indrajaya 16/06/08
      11.   Assad`s big move 10:26  |  Gregor 16/06/08
      12.   INDRAJAYA JEUSALEM is Israeli,turn your backside to it 10:51  |  PETER SM 16/06/08
      13.   NO NO NO Golan is not to be negotioted on 10:57  |  Siem 16/06/08
      14.   # 12, PETER SM 11:16  |  indrajaya 16/06/08
      15.   Indrajaya--Get with the program 11:30  |  ATLAS 16/06/08
      16.   INDRAJAYA did your hear Obama about Jerusalem? 11:43  |  PETER SM 16/06/08
      17.   Indraya 12:00  |  Gregor 16/06/08
      18.   hey pilot ! stop the plane 12:26  |  tali 16/06/08
      19.   # 16, PETER SM 12:27  |  indrajaya 16/06/08
      20.   Even if Assad is sincere (?) ... 12:29  |  Jean Van Daem 16/06/08
      21.   Tali 12:30  |  lynn 16/06/08
      22.   Atlas. Indrajaya is paid to SHOUT for the Arabs 13:05  |  PETER SM 16/06/08
      23.   IF.... 14:24  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 16/06/08
      24.   # 23, THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 14:41  |  indrajaya 16/06/08
      25.   PETER SM 15:00  |  ATLAS 16/06/08
      26.   Only A Matter Of Time. 15:35  |  Cool B 16/06/08
      27.   Indrajaya on hate etc. 15:36  |  The Judge 16/06/08
      28.   INDRAJAYA"All Obama would do is the rephrase his statement" 15:38  |  PETER SM 16/06/08
      29.   to Indrajaya 16:06  |  Mustafa 16/06/08
      30.   Just say no to suicide! 16:26  |  utagawa 16/06/08
      31.   A very early stage 16:59  |  Tosefta 16/06/08
      32.   Dan Patton # 2 18:27  |  Rozz 16/06/08
      33.   ASSAD - LIKE FATHER LIKE SON! 18:28  |  Rozz 16/06/08
      34.   Noor 18:32  |  Ramius 16/06/08
      35.   indrajaya YOU NEED TO COOL OFF 19:14  |  RW 16/06/08
      36.   the results of a peace process part 1 19:45  |  zionist forever 16/06/08
      37.   the results of a peace process part 2 19:57  |  zionist forever 16/06/08
      38.   #.3 Jeff... get real. These are diplomats. 20:04  |  Stephen. 16/06/08
      39.   The Big Question WHy Is Olmert Even Involved. 20:05  |  Shepherd 16/06/08
      40.   Assad will get one more spanking 20:06  |  Anti-Tosefta 16/06/08
      41.   results of a peace process part 3 20:13  |  zionist forever 16/06/08
      42.   ToDan Patton # 2 - Olmert not insane but DESPERATE 21:16  |  Dolly 16/06/08
      43.   31 21:29  |  zionist forever 16/06/08
      44.   Israel needs the peace. Syria does not 21:41  |  Natallie Durson 16/06/08
      45.   #44 Natallie ignores that one little thing Syria wants ... 22:37  |  DesMnsDave 16/06/08
      46.   To Shepherd # 39 - Bang On! 22:46  |  The Threadmill 16/06/08
      47.   rejoice, this is a win-win situation 22:52  |  Leon Rosgarten 16/06/08
      48.   ISRAELIS MUST RISE UP AND DEMONSTRATE 22:59  |  Dagma 16/06/08
      49.   Yes, hezbola bases on the kineret for a positive atmosphere 23:06  |  Israeli Leftist 16/06/08
      50.   To Leon Rosegarten # 47 - You Think..... 23:08  |  Natasha 16/06/08
      51.   To Leon Rosegarten # 47 - You Think..... 23:08  |  Natasha 16/06/08
      52.   To Leon Rosegarten #47 - No Win-Win.... 23:13  |  Dolly 16/06/08
      53.   For the 1st time I recognize some Jewish responsibility for... 23:25  |  bat yam 16/06/08
      54.   This will only go somewhere if.... 23:40  |  Colin Wright 16/06/08
      55.   re RW #35 and verses from the Qur`an 23:57  |  Colin Wright 16/06/08
      56.   #2 No Dan Patton 00:08  |  ballistic 17/06/08
      57.   #13 Siem 00:10  |  ballistic 17/06/08
      58.   #16 Peter SM 00:13  |  ballistic 17/06/08
      59.   #17 Gregor, intent and action are two different things! 00:16  |  ballistic 17/06/08
      60.   Is this greed or insanety? 00:16  |  sal-Chicago 17/06/08
      61.   #28 Indrajaya 00:19  |  ballistic 17/06/08
      62.   #29 Mustafa 00:23  |  ballistic 17/06/08
      63.   #35 RW 00:26  |  ballistic 17/06/08
      64.   #22 PETER SM, reaching a new level? 00:37  |  Mark B. 17/06/08
      65.   Ramius 00:56  |  noor 17/06/08
      66.   Natalie is right, desmnsdave is wrong 01:04  |  noor 17/06/08
      67.   WHAT IS POSITIVE ABOUT GIVING AWAY THE GOLAN PIECE? NOTTA 04:41  |  glenna 17/06/08
      68.   WHOSE THE MEDIATOR;A/MAD/JAD?HE`S THE ONE WHO HAD TO APPROVE THE 04:57  |  glenna 17/06/08
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