Turkey to send civilian forces to monitor Gaza
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Daily News with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 27, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Turkey says it is prepared to send monitors in the Rafah terminal on the border with Egypt, the Palestinians' only door to the outside world. However, the monitors will be compromised of civilians and not military personel
In response to the Hamas proposition for Turkish monitors at the border with Egypt, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signaled Sunday that Turkey would only consider sending civilian forces.
Hamas made the proposition to Egyptian mediators for European and Turkish monitors to be present at the Rafah terminal on the border with Egypt, the Palestinians' only door to the outside world.
Erdoğan told London-based Arab daily Al-Hayat that Turkey was ready to contribute to efforts for the reconstruction of Palestine and his country could send civilian observers to Palestine to ensure a durable cease-fire, ruling out sending a military force to the region.
Turkey currently participates in peacekeeping missions in the West Bank city of Hebron and Lebanon in the Middle East, as well as in Afghanistan and Kosovo.
Hamas is open to Turkish observers being part of the monitoring system, Ayman Taha, an official from the organization, told reporters in Cairo after talks with Egyptian intelligence officials.
A new system to monitor border crossings is the key to preserving the cease-fire and Israel, the United States and Egypt are trying to work out security arrangements to ensure that Hamas does not smuggle weapons into the Strip before any opening.
Egypt has ruled out opening the Rafah crossing in the absence of the Palestinian Authority and European Union observers.
EU nations Sunday called for divided Palestinian factions to unite so border crossings in the war-torn Gaza Strip could be opened and aid distributed. EU officials held talks with representatives from Turkey, Jordan and Egypt in Brussels. In an effort to help, the EU is offering to boost its monitoring mission at the Rafah terminal.
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, told reporters after the meeting that he wished Turkey would continue its mediation efforts.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Malki suggested that Turkey should mediate between Syria and Egypt just like it mediated between Syria and Israel. "There is no dialogue between Egypt and Syria and there could be no peace without including Syria into the process," he told NTV on the sidelines of the meeting in Brussels.
Meanwhile, a Turkish delegation was not allowed to pass through the Rafah terminal to enter the Palestinian territories Sunday, NTV television reported. The delegation, including former politicians and several doctors who arrived at the Rafah gate Sunday morning to carry out humanitarian activities, was stopped by Egyptian authorities. While other delegations from Germany and France were allowed to cross over, the Turkish delegation was kept waiting despite each member of the delegation possessing a green passport.
Hamas made the proposition to Egyptian mediators for European and Turkish monitors to be present at the Rafah terminal on the border with Egypt, the Palestinians' only door to the outside world.
Erdoğan told London-based Arab daily Al-Hayat that Turkey was ready to contribute to efforts for the reconstruction of Palestine and his country could send civilian observers to Palestine to ensure a durable cease-fire, ruling out sending a military force to the region.
Turkey currently participates in peacekeeping missions in the West Bank city of Hebron and Lebanon in the Middle East, as well as in Afghanistan and Kosovo.
Hamas is open to Turkish observers being part of the monitoring system, Ayman Taha, an official from the organization, told reporters in Cairo after talks with Egyptian intelligence officials.
A new system to monitor border crossings is the key to preserving the cease-fire and Israel, the United States and Egypt are trying to work out security arrangements to ensure that Hamas does not smuggle weapons into the Strip before any opening.
Egypt has ruled out opening the Rafah crossing in the absence of the Palestinian Authority and European Union observers.
EU nations Sunday called for divided Palestinian factions to unite so border crossings in the war-torn Gaza Strip could be opened and aid distributed. EU officials held talks with representatives from Turkey, Jordan and Egypt in Brussels. In an effort to help, the EU is offering to boost its monitoring mission at the Rafah terminal.
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, told reporters after the meeting that he wished Turkey would continue its mediation efforts.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Malki suggested that Turkey should mediate between Syria and Egypt just like it mediated between Syria and Israel. "There is no dialogue between Egypt and Syria and there could be no peace without including Syria into the process," he told NTV on the sidelines of the meeting in Brussels.
Meanwhile, a Turkish delegation was not allowed to pass through the Rafah terminal to enter the Palestinian territories Sunday, NTV television reported. The delegation, including former politicians and several doctors who arrived at the Rafah gate Sunday morning to carry out humanitarian activities, was stopped by Egyptian authorities. While other delegations from Germany and France were allowed to cross over, the Turkish delegation was kept waiting despite each member of the delegation possessing a green passport.