Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
Jan 6 2009
Turkey only country capable to ensure peace in Middle East
06.01.09 13:28
Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 5 /corr. Trend News B.Hasanov / Based on the
historical past, Turkey’s authority in the Middle East promotes
Ankara’s posibility to ensure peace between Israel and Palestine.
` Turkey’s ponderability amongst the countries of the Middle East
throughout the history stipulates that Ankara is the most real power
capable to ensure peace in the region,’ Syrian expert Husnu Mahalli
told Trend News on Jan. 5.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babajan highlighted the importance of
necessary efforts of the international community to ensure peace in
the Gaza Strip. Babajan made this statement at the news conference
held with his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem who is on visit to
Turkey.
Turkey displays activity in solving the problems of the Middle East
over the last years. Turkey made a number of important initiatives to
restore peace and cease of Israel’s military operations in Gaza
started on Dec. 27.
On Jan. 3, an extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) member states was held on
the initiative of Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babajan in the first
days of the military operations. Furthermore, the Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan visited Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia from
Dec. 31 to Jan. 2 to settle the conflict in Gaza.
Finally, at the initiative of Turkish Parliament’s chairman Koksal
Toptan, a decision was made to hold a meeting of the Executive
Committee of the OIC Parliamentary Assembly on Jan. 14 in Istanbul to
discuss the events in Gaza.
Turkish expert Bulent Aras said that when there were few peace
initiatives in the Middle East as compared to the last years, Turkey’s
mediation efforts filled deep emptiness.
Expert said that the initiative of Turkey’s mediation in nearest
future will promote countries of the region to express their protest
against Israel in a more organized form, diplomatically and to prepare
proper base for ensuring ceasefire regime.
`The mediation of Turkey, which attempts to enlist the support of the
Middle East countries, is an important factor to ensure peace in the
region,’ Araz, professor on international relations at Istanbul Ishik
University, told Trend News from Istanbul on Jan.5.
Saying that the Arabian countries are unable to actively intervene in
the events in Gaza, Mahalli mentioned the importance of Turkey’s
mediation for achieving peace in the Middle East. Mahalli said that no
one in the region will seriously accept the Arabian countries,
majority of which quarrel with each other and are at the hand of the
United States. Therefore, Turkey is the only country which can help
unite all countries of the region under the common
denominator. However, the expert thinks that despite the serious
initiatives of Turkey, Israel is unlikely expected to take positive
steps towards peace.
Mahalli said that Turkey’s dependence on the Jewish lobby in the issue
of so-called `Armenian genocide’ is the reason why Ankara can not have
considerable influence on Tel Aviv and therefore, Turkey can not make
a wishful contribution in the process of achieving peace in the Middle
East. Furthermore, Mihalli considers that even if the relations
between Turkey and Israel continue, they will not be as good as
previous. Israeli expert of the Strategic Survey Center Ephraim Inbar
considers that Turkey is one of the closest allies of Israel and there
is no danger for the further relations of the two countries. `
Turkey’s criticism towards Israel has a compelled character for
Ankara, since Turkey is a Muslim country and an active member of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference and therefore, it is compelled
to criticize Israel,’ Inbar told TrendNews.
Turkey continues its attempts to ensure peace in Gaza. The Foreign
Minister Ali Babajan said that currently he holds meetings with the
countries of the region and works on various proposals to prepare an
overall peace plan.