Clearday-TRForce
05-30-2006, 06:10 AM
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Both countries promote a two-state solution and prefer a negotiated settlement, but Turkish foreign minister falls short of endorsing Israeli plan of unilateral withdrawal
Turkey and Israel mended fences after a crisis in ties over a visit earlier this year by a delegation from radical Palestinian group Hamas, when Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had talks with top Turkish leaders on her first visit abroad yesterday.
The two countries pledged to boost bilateral trade to $5 billion and discussed energy cooperation, when Livni met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül and the Israeli minister underlined that the tension stemming from the Hamas visit was over.
Despite the positive outlook, the two regional allies promoted different formulas for an eventual two-state solution in the Middle East; Gül declined to endorse Israel's plan for unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian territories and draw its borders on its own.
Calling for a negotiated solution on the basis of the existing road map, Gül said, “There is no other way.”
Israeli officials say their preferred solution is a negotiated one but complain negotiations on the basis of the road map are not possible as long as Hamas remains in power in Palestine and refuses to accept conditions put forward by the international community.
“Unilateral steps are not Israel's ideology. What Israel is trying to do right now is to find a way out of a situation in which we are -- unwillingly in a way -- in control of Palestinian life,” Livni said. “I hope the international community and Turkey, as a friend not only of Israel but also of the Palestinian people, will support a process that represents such a vision,” she said.
TDN news
Ties are excellent, despite differences on how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Turkey and Israel renewed trust after tension sparked by a visit to Ankara of a delegation from the radical Palestinian group Hamas earlier this year and decided to further boost top-level dialogue, but the two regional allies verbally disagreed on what steps to take to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute on the basis of a two-state formula.
“Our position is clear. We are supporting a plan that would support peaceful coexistence of the two states. … And the guide for this is the Road Map and the U.N. documents,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül told a press conference after talks with his visiting Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni. “There is no other way.”
Gül was referring to the plan put forward by the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations that provides for separate Israeli and Palestinian states achieved through diplomacy and negotiation. The Israeli government is proposing a plan for the unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian territories and the drawing of Israel's borders on its own.
Livni, on her first visit abroad as Israeli foreign minister, agreed that a two-state solution was the only way but warned that time was running out for proponents of such a settlement.
“We believe in a two-state solution and we believe that time is working against those who believe in a two-state solution,” she said in response to a question about the unilateral withdrawal plan. “Unilateral steps are not Israel's ideology. What Israel is trying to do right now is to find a way out of a situation in which we are -- unwillingly in a way -- in control of Palestinian life,” Livni said.
“I hope the international community and Turkey, as a friend not only of Israel but also of the Palestinian people, will support a process that represents such a vision,” she said.
Convincing Hamas:
Israeli officials say the unilateral withdrawal plan is not the “preferred solution” for Israel but complain that with Hamas in the government in the Palestinian side, they are left without a partner in a peace process guided by the Road Map.
During Livni's talks, the Israeli side urged Turkey to push Hamas to comply with conditions put forward by the international community, by renouncing violence, recognizing Israel's right to exist and recognizing past agreements between the Palestinians and Israel.
“Turkey would like us, with good reason, to go back to the Road Map. But the first condition chronologically is for the Palestinian side to stop violence. When Palestinians comply with this condition, then we can move forward to other aspects of the Road Map, but we cannot implement the Road Map unless there is a partner on the other side,” an Israeli source told the Turkish Daily News. “It is a matter of logic and this is a logic accepted by the Turkish side.
Turkey hosted a delegation from Hamas in February, drawing ire from Israel, which calls the group terrorist and says it should be isolated. The Israeli source underlined that this crisis was now over and added that this was apparently guided by Turkey's desire to convince Hamas to be a negotiating partner with Israel for a two-state solution.
“The fact that Livni and Gül did not say exactly the same things with exactly the same words does not mean there is a mismatch,” said the source.
The issue of providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians was also discussed at the talks, but there was no concrete outcome.
Livni said Israel was supportive of Turkish plans to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians and added that Israel was encouraging aid through NGOs and delivery of aid materials.
Livni had talks with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and National Security Council (MGK) Secretary-General Yiğit Alpogan as well before she wrapped up her visit late yesterday.
Hamas' visit to Ankara strained ties between the two countries but Livni signaled yesterday that the damage had been repaired, describing ties with Turkey as “excellent.”
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is planning to visit Israel next week and Gül extended an invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to visit Turkey.
The two countries are also eager to boost their bilateral trade volume to an annual $5 billion and discussed energy cooperation in talks with Livni.
Turkish and Israeli officials also discussed developments regarding Iran's nuclear program.
In an interview with private NTV television, Livni dismissed use of force as an option on the agenda against Iran at the moment but urged strong international community pressure to stop the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Livni also urged Turkey to support economic sanctions on Iran. Turkey, which supports a diplomatic solution, has told Iranians that it would follow the international line if the U.N. Security Council votes for economic sanctions.
Livni remained silent when she was asked to comment on claims that her country also possesses nuclear weapons at the press conference with Gül.
regards,
CDTRF
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/photo/52006/m44845.jpg
Both countries promote a two-state solution and prefer a negotiated settlement, but Turkish foreign minister falls short of endorsing Israeli plan of unilateral withdrawal
Turkey and Israel mended fences after a crisis in ties over a visit earlier this year by a delegation from radical Palestinian group Hamas, when Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni had talks with top Turkish leaders on her first visit abroad yesterday.
The two countries pledged to boost bilateral trade to $5 billion and discussed energy cooperation, when Livni met with Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül and the Israeli minister underlined that the tension stemming from the Hamas visit was over.
Despite the positive outlook, the two regional allies promoted different formulas for an eventual two-state solution in the Middle East; Gül declined to endorse Israel's plan for unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian territories and draw its borders on its own.
Calling for a negotiated solution on the basis of the existing road map, Gül said, “There is no other way.”
Israeli officials say their preferred solution is a negotiated one but complain negotiations on the basis of the road map are not possible as long as Hamas remains in power in Palestine and refuses to accept conditions put forward by the international community.
“Unilateral steps are not Israel's ideology. What Israel is trying to do right now is to find a way out of a situation in which we are -- unwillingly in a way -- in control of Palestinian life,” Livni said. “I hope the international community and Turkey, as a friend not only of Israel but also of the Palestinian people, will support a process that represents such a vision,” she said.
TDN news
Ties are excellent, despite differences on how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Turkey and Israel renewed trust after tension sparked by a visit to Ankara of a delegation from the radical Palestinian group Hamas earlier this year and decided to further boost top-level dialogue, but the two regional allies verbally disagreed on what steps to take to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute on the basis of a two-state formula.
“Our position is clear. We are supporting a plan that would support peaceful coexistence of the two states. … And the guide for this is the Road Map and the U.N. documents,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül told a press conference after talks with his visiting Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni. “There is no other way.”
Gül was referring to the plan put forward by the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations that provides for separate Israeli and Palestinian states achieved through diplomacy and negotiation. The Israeli government is proposing a plan for the unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian territories and the drawing of Israel's borders on its own.
Livni, on her first visit abroad as Israeli foreign minister, agreed that a two-state solution was the only way but warned that time was running out for proponents of such a settlement.
“We believe in a two-state solution and we believe that time is working against those who believe in a two-state solution,” she said in response to a question about the unilateral withdrawal plan. “Unilateral steps are not Israel's ideology. What Israel is trying to do right now is to find a way out of a situation in which we are -- unwillingly in a way -- in control of Palestinian life,” Livni said.
“I hope the international community and Turkey, as a friend not only of Israel but also of the Palestinian people, will support a process that represents such a vision,” she said.
Convincing Hamas:
Israeli officials say the unilateral withdrawal plan is not the “preferred solution” for Israel but complain that with Hamas in the government in the Palestinian side, they are left without a partner in a peace process guided by the Road Map.
During Livni's talks, the Israeli side urged Turkey to push Hamas to comply with conditions put forward by the international community, by renouncing violence, recognizing Israel's right to exist and recognizing past agreements between the Palestinians and Israel.
“Turkey would like us, with good reason, to go back to the Road Map. But the first condition chronologically is for the Palestinian side to stop violence. When Palestinians comply with this condition, then we can move forward to other aspects of the Road Map, but we cannot implement the Road Map unless there is a partner on the other side,” an Israeli source told the Turkish Daily News. “It is a matter of logic and this is a logic accepted by the Turkish side.
Turkey hosted a delegation from Hamas in February, drawing ire from Israel, which calls the group terrorist and says it should be isolated. The Israeli source underlined that this crisis was now over and added that this was apparently guided by Turkey's desire to convince Hamas to be a negotiating partner with Israel for a two-state solution.
“The fact that Livni and Gül did not say exactly the same things with exactly the same words does not mean there is a mismatch,” said the source.
The issue of providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians was also discussed at the talks, but there was no concrete outcome.
Livni said Israel was supportive of Turkish plans to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians and added that Israel was encouraging aid through NGOs and delivery of aid materials.
Livni had talks with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and National Security Council (MGK) Secretary-General Yiğit Alpogan as well before she wrapped up her visit late yesterday.
Hamas' visit to Ankara strained ties between the two countries but Livni signaled yesterday that the damage had been repaired, describing ties with Turkey as “excellent.”
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is planning to visit Israel next week and Gül extended an invitation for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to visit Turkey.
The two countries are also eager to boost their bilateral trade volume to an annual $5 billion and discussed energy cooperation in talks with Livni.
Turkish and Israeli officials also discussed developments regarding Iran's nuclear program.
In an interview with private NTV television, Livni dismissed use of force as an option on the agenda against Iran at the moment but urged strong international community pressure to stop the country from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Livni also urged Turkey to support economic sanctions on Iran. Turkey, which supports a diplomatic solution, has told Iranians that it would follow the international line if the U.N. Security Council votes for economic sanctions.
Livni remained silent when she was asked to comment on claims that her country also possesses nuclear weapons at the press conference with Gül.
regards,
CDTRF