Barak to pay official visit to Turkey next month
Officials are working to get Peres and Abdullah Gul to meet on sidelines of Copenhagen climate summit.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Israel newsDefense Minister Ehud Barak will make an official visit to Turkey in January for a visit with Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul.
Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, the Turkish envoy to Israel, met with Barak on Thursday and invited him for an official visit.
Relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated after Israel's winter offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Barak said he views the visit as an important part of relations between Israel and Turkey.
"Turkey comprises a main factor in the region and an important axis between Israel and its neighbors," Barak said. "Israel's relations with Turkey are of utmost importance on all levels."
Earlier Thursday, Haaretz learned Israeli and Turkish officials are working to get President Shimon Peres and Turkish President Abdullah Gul to meet on the sidelines of the Copenhagen climate summit.
The behind-the-scenes efforts are a bid to take advantage of the leaders' joint presence at the meeting aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The leaders' meeting is planned for Thursday or Friday morning.
Gul had been scheduled to make an official visit to Israel as Peres' guest, but canceled in the wake of a diplomatic crisis between the allies.
Tensions flared between the two countries in September after Turkey banned Israel from participating in a NATO air force drill. Ankara further strained relations when it refused to take off the air a television drama depicting Israeli soldiers killing Palestinian children.
However, recent reports indicated Turkey would continue to mediate peace talks between Israel and Syria, after Trade Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer visited Turkey last month to ease tensions.
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Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with Turkish envoy on Thursday. |
| Photo by: (Alberto Denkberg) |
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to "Total mess" : What do you expect when it's Erdogan and his islamist party? you'r speaking like the whole country is doing that - The turkish military already keep warning them and the military coup got leaked..it's not much more to do than waiting to the next election which is next year.
Yes Persians have a good history towards the Jews and region, and have been an important counter balance to other regional powers. However, as it currently stands Iran is a blight to the entire region. With constantly threatening of the Israelis, sponsoring of international terrorists, and an increasing military arsenal aimed at attacking other countries for merely ideological and religious reasons are appalling reasons for Turkey to diplomatically keep the Iranian regime in their favored status. Even if only for economic reasons. Turkey who wishes to enhance their role with NATO and the UN are using their strategic value as bargaining chips for a corrupt Iranian regime that is not popularly supported, which is wearing thin the desire to keep them as partners by many countries allied with Israel and the West. As far as the Greens, they cannot do much with the little power they have, especially with Turkey propping up the Iranian regime with little care except monetarily. Brothers? No.
What's wrong with Turks calling Iranians their brothers? Turkey and Iran have gotten along more centuries than Israel and America's histories put together. We do consider them our brothers and sisters. It won't be long before the Greens triumph over the regime in Tehran and take back their countries from the tyrants that hijacked it 30 years ago. The Persians are peace-loving people, it was our forefather Cyrus the Great who not only freed the Jews but also WROTE the first Human Rights declaration over 2.5 MILLENNIA ago. As for your lack of knowledge, you really don't have an excuse. Sorry.... PS-There are many people in the world who do not feel IDF actions are/have been justified.
Israel is seeking reconciliation with a country that call Iranians brothers and IDF murderers.Go figure.
Israel or Turkey? think again...