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| Contested Turf: An old Israeli tank sits in the Golan Heights, which Syria wants back. Baz Ratner/REUTERS |
Turkey aims for clout as regional mediator
Back-channel discussions between Syria and Israel are being facilitated by Turkey, which has close ties to Israel and growing ties to Syria. The United States is supportive of the effort.
from the May 6, 2008 edition
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Alon Liel, a former director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry who has conducted unofficial talks on an Israel-Syrian peace, said that Turkey first offered to serve as a go-between in early 2004. Then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon turned Ankara down. Three years later, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, fearing talks with the Palestinians might fail, took Turkey up on its offer.
"There is an interest on Israel's part in keeping the peace momentum," Mr. Liel says. "If you cannot move on the West Bank, everybody is looking up to the Golan Heights and looking to see what can be up there."
Turkey had been criticized by some US officials for improving relations with Syria as the US was trying to isolate Damascus for its ties to Iran and Hizbullah.
Turkish officials have refused to give details about any future contacts between Syria and Israel, but Israeli press reports have suggested that Ankara might broker meetings between low-level officials.
Secretary Rice said last Friday that Washington had confidence in at least two of the participants in the process.
"In terms of the reports of Turkish mediation between Syria and Israel, we have confidence in Turkey, we have confidence in Israel," Rice told reporters en route to a London meeting. "I think it's quite clear that we don't have much confidence in Syria."
Most observers, while lauding Turkey's efforts, say that the country doesn't yet have the diplomatic expertise or weight to bring about a comprehensive settlement on its own. Rather, it represents another track, one that could help move any dialogue further along. The Erdogan government is also facing the possibility of being closed down by Turkey's top court, something that could further undercut Ankara's ability to sustain its new efforts.
"Obviously, Turkey is not the United States in this game," says Suat Kiniklioglu, a member of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) and spokesman of the parliament's foreign affairs committee.
"But our plan is to facilitate any contact or dialogue that will, hopefully, lead to a deal," he adds. "The prime minister doesn't think this is a waste of his time or energy. The thinking in Ankara is that the status quo in the Middle East is not sustainable, and we want to prevent whatever damage we can."
• Josh Mitnick contributed to this report from Tel Aviv.
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