Turkey president plans to visit Israel to ease tensions

Turkish President Abdullah Gul is interested in making an official visit to Israel in the coming months to put an end to the crisis in relations between his country and Israel. If he does come, Gul is expected to be here during the second half of the year.

Jak Kamhi, a leader in the Turkish Jewish community who is considered close to the Turkish president, was in Israel about a week ago and met with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The Turkish Jewish community and the crisis in relations with Turkey were discussed at the meetings.

In his talk with Peres, Kamhi gave him a personal note from Gul. In the short message, Gul stressed his wish that a state visit to Israel be arranged for him this year, that he had originally planned to come in January, but the visit did not take place and he is now eager to plan such a visit. The reason given for the cancellation of the January visit was that Gul had an ear problem, and his doctors recommended he not fly. But the probable reason for the cancellation was Operation Cast Lead and the tensions between Turkey and Israel.

Sources in Jerusalem say the visit is not expected to take place before the Turkish elections at the end of March, and is unlikely even by the end of June, because of extensive preparations for the Pope's visit in May.

Gul's note to Peres is viewed here as a very positive sign, as a gesture of great importance in light of the crisis in Israeli-Turkish relations. The two presidents are known to have a very cordial relationship and spoke regularly during the tenseness in ties in an effort to calm the situation. Gul, Turkey's former foreign minister, has taken a more moderate line than that of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The tension in ties against the backdrop of the military operation in Gaza and Erogan's bitter criticism of Olmert intensified following recent statements in a closed meeting by Israel Defense Forces Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi in which he criticized the Turkish prime minister.

On Monday, Israel's ambassador in Ankara, Gabi Levy, sent a message to the Turkish foreign ministry in which he clarified Israel's position on the matters raised by Mizrahi. The ambassador wrote that "Israel attaches great importance to the preservation of close ties with Turkey." The text of the message was also sent to the Turkish chief of staff and to Prime Minister Erdogan.

	U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, left, meeting Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Ankara on Wednesday.
	Photo by: Reuters