Turkey Deputy PM: Our ties with Israel must improve
During Ben-Eliezer visit, Turkey FM says Ankara willing to resume mediating Israel-Syria peace talks.
By Jack Khoury and Ora Coren Tags: Turkey Syria Israel newsThe Turkish deputy prime minister, Bulent Arinc, said on Monday that Turkey-Israel relations must improve, during a meeting in Ankara with Industry, Labor and Trade Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer.
"The diplomatic relations between the two countries have known ups and downs, but they must stabilize," said Arinc, adding that the ties must improve with regard to "every issue."
Ben-Eliezer said in response that Israel and Turkey must remain strategic allies and that the Israeli people want the relations to continue.
"The Israeli people want to return to good relations with Turkey," the minister said. He added that in was in the two countries' mutual interests to strengthen the relations.
Earlier on Monday the minister urged Turkey to resume its role as mediator in peace negotiations between Israel and Syria, a day after Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Ankara's impartiality had been canceled out by its "insults and tongue-lashing against Israel."
Turkey's foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, later confirmed that Israel had requested that his country resume mediating the talks.
"We are willing to mediate between the two countries and contribute to the political process in the region, and hope that we will begin a new era on the Palestinian issue and in everything connected to peace talks in the region," Davutoglu said.
Israeli sources said over the weekend that the move had been coordinated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Foreign Ministry in advance of Ben-Eliezer's departure to Turkey on Sunday evening.
The sources say that Ben-Eliezer will stress during his visit that Israel will view Turkey as a mediator with Syria, but Turkey must first demonstrate a return to the normal relations that existed with Israel before a deterioration in ties at the beginning of the year in the wake of Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
The normalization will have to be shown through declarations and deeds, they say. Among such gestures, Ben-Eliezer will propose that Turkish President Abdullah Gul pay a visit to Israel and meet with President Shimon Peres.
In the course of Ben-Eliezer's visit, he will attempt to return economic, military, strategic and diplomatic ties to normal.
The official reason for the minister's visit is the annual Turkish-Israeli economic conference. In the course of his trip, Ben-Eliezer will meet with the Turkish agriculture minister as well as the defense minister, who heads the Turkish delegation to the conference.
Efforts have recently been underway to arrange a meeting with a high-level Turkish political figure. In the absence of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is abroad, a possible meeting with President Gul or with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is being explored.
"I hope my economic and political talks will make it possible to get the important relations between Israel and its Turkish strategic partner back on track," Ben-Eliezer said, adding, "Turkey has special ties with Israel, and as a regional and democratic-Muslim power."
|
Turkey's FM Davutoglu, right, shaking hands with Minister Ben-Eliezer during a meeting in Ankara on Monday. |
| Photo by: (Reuters) |
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Ben Eliezer, watch Turks burning Israeli flags and try to imagine if any Turkish flag was burned in Israel, what would be PM Erdogan`s reaction to it followed by Turks attacking Jews in Istanbul- Nora Tel Aviv Nora, sometime ago it was covered in the Haaretz that Jews had burned American flags in Te Aviv, or possibly it was Jerusalem. In any case you will use any issue to inflame your pet issue. My government ignored it. Americans understand the underlying animosity that Israelis have for anyone that does not acquiesce to their demands. Obviously, before Turkey will be allowed to help Israel as mediator it must acquiesce to Israeli demands to humble itself to Israel. What a privilege they are willing to allow Turkey. I am sure that they will beg for it
present Turkey govt. is pro Islam and not kind to Israel! unfortunately, Israel needs Turkey in many ways so it must make love fest! unfortunately for Turkey, it will not get into E.U.! losers all around! makes sense?????
Read what I wrote carefully. I am Turkish.
Turkey. Ben Eliezer: "To resume its role as mediator with Syria." Really ? After all the insults ? Have you, Fuad, thought of the backlash & its comsequences if there is a failure? Becauce of Israel's juxtaposition in the Arab world,& its present day weak standing not only in the immediate region.Israel should refrain from running helter-skelter into the arms of its adversaries. What issue is so burning ? The Golan is quiet,(and Israel declared it to be an integral part of Israel ?) Why stoke the embers to cause uncontrollable fire !?
Get educated Mr. whatever! Turks are Caucasians, Arabs and Israelis are Semitic people. Turks only share religion with Arabs, but Jews and Arabs are cousins in dispute.
Yeah, I am Turkish and I want to love Arabs and Jews at the same time. What is this nonsense going? Are not you cousins with Arabs or something? Is not there an irony to hate Arabs while loving Jews or vice versa?
The government makes policy. Its called democracy.Tell your friends a contrary opinion is not a death sentence in the civilised world.
The israeli people want to return to good relations with Turkey!!! Where does Ben Eliezer find these lies... He and his political future are at stake. He promotes himself to foreign minister hoping to get some press space. The Israeli people want the truth only. Turkey must show that it wants to return to good relations.Turkey has lost its tourist attractions and is loosing money.How much does turkey pay Ben Eliezer to mediate his lies. Israel knows that Avigdor Lieberman the foreign minister will not turn to lies and does not resort to corruption of the labour party
The Israeli people want to return to good relations with Turkey !!!
Fuad is sucking up to Turkey, who spits in our face. If the problem was "just" that Erdogan is an Islamist and a jew hater, it would "almost" be nothing as usual, but it's far worse than that b/C the overwhelming majority of Turkish opinion blindly supports Erdogan and b/c the Turkish army is the second most powerfull of all the NATO'armies. Wake up Israel before it's too late.
never mind they will end up in Iran's hands, as far as he gets his sales comission.
I'm Turkish and we love both Arabs and Israelis. we must resume peace talks between Israel and Syria, I think it's helpful for Israel's security too.
There's an obvious eagerness on the part of Turkey and Syria, to see the former in the role of "mediator" now, after verbally abusing Israel. This should nor be a precedent. Israel must not dispair diplomatically and not yield to abuse. There is scheming behind this eagerness, and Israel should not fall into the trap.
"As a regionel and democratic- muslim power" Correction- Regionel yes. Democratic No Muslim power yes.
They have a reputation of impartiality as long as one agrees with them.
Policy changes from hour to hour.How can anyone orchestrate peace under these conditions---add to that the fact that Israel does not want a "JUST" peace. Never has. Never will. Unless forced to do so. I can enjoy a little cabaret. Were this not such a serious situation for the Palestinians.
The events are puzzling. '... the policy was coordinated with PM Netanyahu and the Foreign Ministry in advance of Ben-Eliezer's departure to Turkey' 'Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Ankara's impartiality had been canceled out by its "insults and tongue-lashing against Israel." Either Israel wants Turkey as mediator, as the PM and Foreign Ministry have decided, or they don't, as the Foreign Minister has decided. How can a state simultaneously hold two diametrically opposed views on a key diplomatic issue? Playing good cop-bad cop doesn't work in diplomacy, it only creates resentment and suspicion and confuses the message. It's not a plausible explanation for this schizophrenic behaviour. Lieberman seems to have great difficulty understanding his role as FM. It is to speak for the State and present its agreed policies. It is not to speak as the leader of a minority political party and oppose what his own government and Ministry have agreed. He just doesn't seem to get it.
thats how Turkey demonstrate its return to normal relations?! The syrian government insist of using turkey as a the only mediator is a way of degrading Israel dignity by forcing it to turn back to Turkey "the biased".
..and try to imagine if any Turkish flag was burned in Israel, what would be PM Erdogan`s reaction to it followed by Turks attacking Jews in Istanbul.