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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Seeking a seat for Syria at Annapolis
2007-11-14
Hosting a historic encounter between the leaders of Israel and Palestine only days ahead of an international Middle East conference, Turkey yesterday called for a broader participation in the U.S.-brokered summit aimed to revive stalled negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians.

“I hope that Syria is also invited to Annapolis and they attend,” Turkish President Abdullah Gül told reporters at a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres.
Best way to guarantee a stone cold failure is to have the Syrians present. Second best way is to have the Paleos present.
The Israeli president and Palestine's visiting leader Mahmoud Abbas will be meeting in Ankara with the initiative of Turkish President Abdullah Gül. Before today's tripartite meeting Peres and Gül discussed bilateral issues as well as the upcoming U.S.-sponsored negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians in Annapolis, Maryland.

At the press conference, Gül said Turkey expected the Annapolis talks to yield “concrete and tangible results.” He warned against any “unilateral action” that could lead to tension ahead of the Annapolis talks and underlined all parties including Syria should participate in the conference for a path toward “comprehensive negotiations.”

“The Palestinian-Israeli dispute does not only concern the two peoples but although they'll eventually make a decision, this problem getting chronic affects the region. Everyone should try their best for a solution to this problem… It is important to have Syria participate in this meeting,” he said.

Gül was responding to a question whether a tangible result could be achieved if Syria and other countries do not participate. As a country having friendly ties with all countries in the region Turkey wants the international conference to be all-inclusive to find a solution to the Israeli and Palestinian dispute, which it believes is not only a problem of the two peoples but also affects the stability in the region.

On his part, Peres welcomed the participation of all “moderate countries,” saying “the voice of peace will be stronger and louder” with more participants attending. But he accused Syria of not taking steps for peace. “All participants are decided not to let Annapolis be a failure, not to let this chance pass,” Peres said. He cautioned against high expectations from the meeting, but said it could serve as a starting point, and that Turkey's participation would also be useful.

Turkey, a NATO member and Israel's closest ally in the Islamic world, has in the past played as a mediator between Israel and its Muslim neighbors.

Likening predominantly Muslim Turkey to an eagle, Peres said one wing wanted to advance further, while the other wing wanted to balance politics. Peres praised Turkey with its democratic freedom, economic growth and the way of handling its internal problems.

He also expressed belief his country could now make peace with Palestinians. “I believe we can make peace now with Palestinians,” he said but added it might not happen quickly. “It takes time to make peace.”
How long does it take to make peace with people who expressly want you dead?
On Iran's nuclear program, Peres said he and Gül had disagreed. The visiting president accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, building long-range missiles and sponsoring terrorism, while Gül reiterated that countries should have the right to acquire nuclear energy only for peaceful means. “We are against any type of weapons of mass destruction and we would not want to see them in our neighborhood,” he added.

On a question whether Turkey could play a role in the release of the captured Israeli soldiers, Gül said that they have engaged in some efforts to save the soldiers. But Gül did not give further details on Turkey's efforts. The Israeli president said he officially invited Gül to pay a visit to Israel.

In September, Turkey demanded an apology from Israel after it said Israeli jets crossed into Turkish airspace and jettisoned fuel tanks during a raid on a military target in Syria. Gül said that the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, had offered an apology for the incident and said: "I believe the matter is now closed."

Peres pointed to the Israeli support for Turkey's fight against terrorism during the meeting with Gül. He stressed the Israeli side understood the terror problem in Turkey and extended its backing, said the Turkish diplomatic sources.

Israeli sources said Peres focused on the use of high “nanotechnology” to combat terrorism.
Say what?
The alleged genocide of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire also appeared on the agenda of talks between the two leaders. Gül asked the Israeli leader to use his influence over the Jewish associations in the United States in the face of attempts to introduce a genocide resolution, said the sources.

Gül suggested that Israel open up an embassy in northern Cyprus and that ferryboat trips start between Israel's Haifa and northern Cyprus, according to the Israeli diplomatic sources. Peres, however, said he does not have an authority on these issues but will communicate Turkey's demands to relevant authorities once he returns home.
Posted by:lotp

#4  Didn't Syria already say they were not interested in participating as long as Israel is also a player?
Posted by: USN,Ret.   2007-11-14 13:59  

#3  Dear Ms Rice
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2007-11-14 09:14  

#2  "high 'nanotechnology' to combat terrorism."

Maybe it means converting terrorists into nano-particles in high earth orbit?
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-11-14 07:33  

#1  "How long does it take to make peace with people who expressly want you dead?"

Just a few seconds each - my aim is pretty good.
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-11-14 07:31  

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