Jigs
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2009
- Messages
- 3,735
- Reaction score
- 0
(AFP) 18 hours ago
UNITED NATIONS Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Monday he declined to meet his Turkish counterpart after he had set conditions Israel could not accept as tensions between the two countries remain high.
"There was a proposal that President (Abdullah) Gul and myself would meet. I agreed. But then I got conditions which made this meeting, in my judgement, not a possibility," Peres told reporters.
Ties between Turkey and Israel, once strategic allies, were severely hurt following Israel's 2008-2009 Gaza offensive. They suffered another heavy blow after Israeli commandos in May stormed Gaza-bound aid ships, killing nine Turkish activists.
Israeli officials said that Turkey demanded ahead of the meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that Israel apologize for the raid, which is being investigated by a UN inquiry.
"We do not intend to worsen the situation, but neither can we agree to preconditions that are totally unacceptable," Peres said.
Turkey's Anatolia news agency earlier reported that Gul had said he would not meet Peres due to his busy schedule.
"My programme does not allow" such a meeting, Gul was quoted by Anatolia as telling a press conference in New York.
Gul underlined that Ankara still expected Israel to apologise for the deadly raid and pay compensation, adding that an apology on its own would not suffice.
"An apology by Israel will not mean that all is forgotten, all is over, and that we should bury the dead and take care of the living," he said.
Turkey has also demanded that the Jewish state lift its crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip in order to mend ties.
Gul however said he would meet Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad for talks focusing on the Islamic republic's controversial nuclear program as Turkey continues efforts to facilitate talks between Iran and the West.
Western powers fear that Iran's atomic programme masks a covert drive for nuclear weapons -- a charge that Tehran denies.
Turkey insists on a diplomatic solution to the tensions and in May -- together with Brazil -- hammered out a nuclear fuel swap deal with Tehran.
Turkey's improving ties with Iran, coupled by the crisis with Israel, have sparked concern that Turkey, a NATO member vying for membership of the European Union, is drifting away from the West.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
UNITED NATIONS Israeli President Shimon Peres said on Monday he declined to meet his Turkish counterpart after he had set conditions Israel could not accept as tensions between the two countries remain high.
"There was a proposal that President (Abdullah) Gul and myself would meet. I agreed. But then I got conditions which made this meeting, in my judgement, not a possibility," Peres told reporters.
Ties between Turkey and Israel, once strategic allies, were severely hurt following Israel's 2008-2009 Gaza offensive. They suffered another heavy blow after Israeli commandos in May stormed Gaza-bound aid ships, killing nine Turkish activists.
Israeli officials said that Turkey demanded ahead of the meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly that Israel apologize for the raid, which is being investigated by a UN inquiry.
"We do not intend to worsen the situation, but neither can we agree to preconditions that are totally unacceptable," Peres said.
Turkey's Anatolia news agency earlier reported that Gul had said he would not meet Peres due to his busy schedule.
"My programme does not allow" such a meeting, Gul was quoted by Anatolia as telling a press conference in New York.
Gul underlined that Ankara still expected Israel to apologise for the deadly raid and pay compensation, adding that an apology on its own would not suffice.
"An apology by Israel will not mean that all is forgotten, all is over, and that we should bury the dead and take care of the living," he said.
Turkey has also demanded that the Jewish state lift its crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip in order to mend ties.
Gul however said he would meet Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad for talks focusing on the Islamic republic's controversial nuclear program as Turkey continues efforts to facilitate talks between Iran and the West.
Western powers fear that Iran's atomic programme masks a covert drive for nuclear weapons -- a charge that Tehran denies.
Turkey insists on a diplomatic solution to the tensions and in May -- together with Brazil -- hammered out a nuclear fuel swap deal with Tehran.
Turkey's improving ties with Iran, coupled by the crisis with Israel, have sparked concern that Turkey, a NATO member vying for membership of the European Union, is drifting away from the West.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
