PM resumes rounds on Gaza crisis
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 02, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continued his Middle East tour with a visit to Egypt, in search of a way to stop Israeli bombing of the Gaza strip that has killed almost 400 Palestinians since last Saturday.
Lifting the embargo on Gaza is another main point of his trip, Erdoğan said yesterday at a Justice and Development Party, or AKP, gathering in Ankara. "Palestine and Gaza people, our brothers, can only be saved from their isolation when these embargoes are lifted," Erdoğan said before his flight to Egypt. "The truce of June 2008 included provisions for ending the embargo, but unfortunately they were not implemented," PM noted. Erdoğan was in Syria and Jordan in the first leg of his Middle East tour and met with leaders of both countries, as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"We told our friends and brothers that we are ready to participate in any activity and plan to bring conciliation to Palestine. Ways to reach a ceasefire and end embargoes were also discussed," said Erdoğan yesterday upon his return to Ankara.
Erdoğan will move on to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The intensive diplomatic effort will be kept up and sustained, Erdoğan said. "Turkey has a historical mission." Embargo must be lifted The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was not extended "because the embargo was not lifted, and the conditions for articles were not observed," Erdoğan noted yesterday and called on al-Fatah and Hamas to reach a deal.
Erdoğan met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday, after his declaration that the Israeli attacks were also a sign of disrespect to Turkey, which was brokering indirect talks between Syria and Israel to reach a peace deal.
Erdoğan issued a joint statement with President Bashar Assad, whereby the two leaders agreed that "the Israeli aggression against Gaza had shattered all efforts to achieve peace in the region and that in consequence it was impossible to speak of peace in the face of Israeli obstinacy."
Syria's official news agency SANA said Erdogan and Assad discussed ways to stop the "massacre committed by Israel" on Gaza Palestinians and both warned of danger and consequences a continued aggression would have on the region.
The Israeli attacks arrived days after Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Erdoğan agreed that the Turkish government would continue to work toward facilitating direct talks between Israel and Syria. "We must advance toward direct peace talks between Israel and Syria as soon as possible," Olmert had said to Erdoğan during his visit to Turkey. Erdoğan said he did not have an appointment with the exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Damascus.
Syria this week suspended Turkish-mediated indirect peace talks with Israel in response to the Gaza attacks. Egypt and Turkey Ñ which have strong ties to Israel and is keeping channels of communication open with the Hamas leadership Ñ are working on an initiative to reach a long-term Hamas-Israel truce.
"We told our friends and brothers that we are ready to participate in any activity and plan to bring conciliation to Palestine. Ways to reach a ceasefire and end embargoes were also discussed," said Erdoğan yesterday upon his return to Ankara.
Erdoğan will move on to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. The intensive diplomatic effort will be kept up and sustained, Erdoğan said. "Turkey has a historical mission." Embargo must be lifted The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was not extended "because the embargo was not lifted, and the conditions for articles were not observed," Erdoğan noted yesterday and called on al-Fatah and Hamas to reach a deal.
Erdoğan met with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday, after his declaration that the Israeli attacks were also a sign of disrespect to Turkey, which was brokering indirect talks between Syria and Israel to reach a peace deal.
Erdoğan issued a joint statement with President Bashar Assad, whereby the two leaders agreed that "the Israeli aggression against Gaza had shattered all efforts to achieve peace in the region and that in consequence it was impossible to speak of peace in the face of Israeli obstinacy."
Syria's official news agency SANA said Erdogan and Assad discussed ways to stop the "massacre committed by Israel" on Gaza Palestinians and both warned of danger and consequences a continued aggression would have on the region.
The Israeli attacks arrived days after Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Erdoğan agreed that the Turkish government would continue to work toward facilitating direct talks between Israel and Syria. "We must advance toward direct peace talks between Israel and Syria as soon as possible," Olmert had said to Erdoğan during his visit to Turkey. Erdoğan said he did not have an appointment with the exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Damascus.
Syria this week suspended Turkish-mediated indirect peace talks with Israel in response to the Gaza attacks. Egypt and Turkey Ñ which have strong ties to Israel and is keeping channels of communication open with the Hamas leadership Ñ are working on an initiative to reach a long-term Hamas-Israel truce.