Turkey welcomes prisoner swap deal between Hamas, Israel

[RedBeard]

12 October 2011, Wednesday / TODAYSZAMAN.COM,

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu ​

Turkey on Wednesday welcomed a landmark Israeli-Hamas deal to free a captured Israeli soldier in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, saying the country is ready to contribute to the process.


“Turkey sees this as a positive development for reunification of people with their families and easing tension in the region. Our contact with the Palestinian side will continue,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters on Wednesday. Noting that Turkey was informed about the deal by Hamas ahead of the agreement, Davutoğlu said Turkey expressed support for the deal.

“Turkey is ready to contribute to every phase of this process,” he added. The agreement would bring home Sgt. Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped on June 25, 2006 by Hamas in a cross-border raid near the Kerem Shalom crossing in Israel.

Davutoğlu recalled that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had also taken the initiative for the release of Shalit. Claims emerged in July that an Israeli-Turkish businessman gave Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan a letter from Noam Shalit, the father of the soldier, asking him to convince Hamas to accept a German mediator's swap deal proposal. Erdoğan then reportedly pledged to handle the matter personally.

When asked about his comment with regards to a recent statement by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who said on Monday that sending Iraqi troops to the north of Iraq was the best option to push out members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its Iranian wing, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), Davutoğlu said, “This is what Turkey already wants.”

“This is a positive statement. This is what we already demand. I hope they do what is necessary. Turkey would not have to carry out cross border operations [in northern Iraq] if Iraq protects its own soil,” he added.

Recently, Turkey's Parliament passed a bill extending permission, as it has done several times since 2007, for the Turkish military to mount cross-border operations against members of the PKK in northern Iraq during the coming year. Turkish air and artillery operations against suspected PKK members in the Kandil Mountains have intensified since August. The strikes were ordered after a break of more than a year in retaliation for an increase in PKK attacks on security forces inside Turkey.

The PKK uses its bases in northern Iraq to launch attacks on Turkey. PJAK is also involved in clashes with Iranian forces.

Commenting on another controversial issue in Turkey, the alleged capture and release of senior PKK leader Murat Karayılan by Iran, Davutoğlu said official statements by parties involved in the issue should be credited. Noting that there is “intense cooperation between Iran and Turkey” against terrorism, the minister said this cooperation is still under way. A Turkish daily reported on Tuesday that Iranian security forces captured Karayılan in August but later released him after negotiations with the terrorist organization.


Turkey welcomes prisoner swap deal between Hamas, Israel

 

[RedBeard]

Peres lauds Erdogan efforts on Shalit

President says 'pleasantly surprised' by Turkey's help in securing kidnapped soldier's release. 'They favored the humanitarian side over politics,' he says. PM's negotiator: Mission yet to be accomplished


Omri Efraim Published: 10.12.11, 14:38 / Israel News


Will the Shalit deal help improve the Israel -Turkey relations?

President Shimon Peres used his public meeting with Israeli negotiator David Meidan on Wednesday to laud Ankara for its contribution to the deal securing kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's release.

Without elaborating, Peres said, "I was pleasantly surprised by the Turkish government's stand.

"They put everything aside and favored the humanitarian side over politics," said Peres, addressing the Turkish stand on the captive soldiers, regardless of the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

"I was told that it was done by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Peres said of the man who has been constantly attacking Israel since the flotilla raid on a Turkish Gaza-bound ship.


Turkey: Ready to do our part
According to Peres, the diplomatic effort to secure Shalit's release was "a combination of a particularly effort between international relations and relations between people."


Turkey welcomed the prisoner exchange deal on Wednesday, saying that it was ready to contribute to the process.


"Turkey sees uniting people with their families as a positive development in easing tensions in the region," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted as saying by the Today's Zaman newspaper. He noted that Hamas had notified Ankara about the agreement before signing it.


"Turkey is ready to contribute to any stage in this process," Davutoglu said. He noted that Erdogan had tried to initiate moves which would lead to Shalit's release in the past.


The newspaper said it reported in July that Israeli and Turkish businesspeople delivered to Erdogan a letter from Noam Shalit, asking him to convince Hamas to agree to the German offer. According to the report, Erdogan promised at the time to personally take care of the issue.

'Pretty complicated deal'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emissary to the negotiations noted in his meeting with Peres that "the mission has yet to be accomplished, and the deal is pretty complicated." He said he would soon be leaving for Cairo again.

Sources in the President's Residence noted that Peres would be receiving the personal files of the prisoners slated to be released as part of the deal in order to pardon them.

Izat Rishak, a member of Hamas political bureau in Damascus, admitted that the prisoner exchange deal would not include Palestinian prisoners considered political and military leaders, like Marwan Barghouti and Ahmed Saadat, and the leaders of Hamas' military wing – Ibrahim Khamed, Abdullah Barghouti and Abbas Sayad.

Gazans celebrate prisoner release (Photo: Reuters)​

He added that the deal has been postponed several times in the past in order to secure the release of the highest number of prisoners, including "heavy" ones.

"I hope we can release the rest in the next prisoner exchange deal, and they are definitely on our minds. Our joy is incomplete because these prisoners will stay in the Israeli prisons, but we will fulfill our promise to release all of them" Rishak said.

He added that Hamas would release the list of prisoners once it is published in Israel.

Osama Hamdan, another member of Hamas' political bureau, noted that the conditions of the deal with Israel, including the removal of some prisoners' names, were finalized in cooperation with the leadership of the Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. He said the prisoners' agreement encouraged Hamas to finalize the deal.

A Hamas source located in Damascus told the website of Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram that Gilad Shalit would be united with his family within three days."



Peres lauds Erdogan efforts on Shalit - Israel News, Ynetnews

 

[RedBeard]

How did Turkey save Gilad Shalit?


Friday, October 14, 2011
İSMET BERKAN - iberkan@hurriyet.com.tr


There is no one who does not know about Gilad Shalit, the soldier for whose sake Israel turned Gaza upside down, killed thousands of people, including women and children, and turned Gaza into an open-air prison. In fact, maybe he has been the most innocent hero of this long and bloody game, or the victim, since the day he was kidnapped by Hamas.

After Hamas kidnapped Shalit and the Israeli army entered Gaza, only to fail at rescuing the soldier, Israel asked for mediation and assistance from Turkey.

And, even at that time, which was the end of 2006 and beginning of 2007, Turkey stepped in and talks were carried out with Hamas, with some progress achieved. But Israel has a habit; it does the same job together with a few countries. The fact that other countries were also involved did not make the negotiations any easier; on the contrary, they got tougher. Moreover, they became entangled. At this point, Turkey stepped out.

Turkey stepped out but Israel’s effort to save Gilad Shalit did not end until seven or eight months ago.

Some seven or eight months ago, at a time when Turkish-Israeli relations were not at its best, the Israeli government once more consulted Turkey and asked for help to save Shalit because they had reached a certain point in negotiations and once more the talks were deadlocked. Would Turkey help overcome this deadlock?

The subject was referred to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. Erdoğan reacted very clearly to this demand: “This is a humanitarian issue; it has nothing to do with our Israeli politics or relations. Let us do whatever we can.”

With this directive, the Foreign Ministry stepped in. They wanted Israel to pass all the information it had to Ankara. Then it was understood that a Western European country’s representative had played a serious role in the negotiations carried out until that time.

That Western European came to Ankara. He met Davutoğlu and top level Foreign Ministry civil servants, conveyed all the information he had and explained the latest stage reached in the negotiations.

From that moment on, a tough negotiation period started with Hamas on one hand and with Israel on the other. The National Intelligence Organization (MİT) stepped in and met with MOSSAD, Hamas and Egyptian intelligence.

This shuttle diplomacy and secret meetings gradually bore fruit, the deadlocked situation in the negotiations ended and an advance was obtained.

On one side of the negotiation was Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal who resided in Syria, on the other side was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in the middle were Davutoğlu, the Foreign Ministry and MİT.

The subject on which the negotiations were about to be locked was whether 27 Hamas women were to be released. But later this issue was overcome and a few days ago Mashaal called Davutoğlu from Syria and told him the deal was struck. “If you do not have any objection, we will announce it in a few hours. I wanted you to know first,” he said. Davutoğlu said: “This is a totally humanitarian matter. We thank you for being helpful in this issue. The deal is also appropriate from our point of view.”

And after this talk, both Hamas and Israel announced the deal struck on Shalit.

İsmet Berkan is a columnist for daily Hürriyet in which this piece appeared Oct. 14. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.


Friday, October 14, 2011


How did Turkey save Gilad Shalit? - Hurriyet Daily News

 

[RedBeard]

Report: Turkey Will Host All Exiled Palestinian Prisoners

Saturday, 15 October 2011

Turkey will take in the 40 Palestinian prisoners set for exile abroad as part of an exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, Turkish media reported on Friday.

Israel refused to deport the prisoners -- part of the first round of 450 set be released this week -- to Egypt, Lebanon or Syria, according to the report in Turkish daily Hurriyet.

Hamas and Israel agreed on Tuesday to exchange over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for captured Israeli solider Gilad Shalit.

Some 200 detainees will be exiled, 40 detainees overseas and 163 sent to Gaza.

The second phase of the prisoner release will be implemented after two months, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishiq said on Thursday.

In a statement published on his Facebook page, Rishiq listed criteria he said had been agreed with Israel for the next stage of releases, whose names will be selected by Israel.

Israel will free "prisoners serving time for patriotic acts rather than criminal acts," and not prisoners who have nearly completed jail terms, Rishiq said.

Freed detainees will have several years of their sentence remaining, and will all be allowed to return to their home towns, the Hamas official added.


Saturday, 15 October 2011


Report: Turkey Will Host All Exiled Palestinian Prisoners, 15 October 2011 Saturday 10:55

 

[Al Bhatti]

As per this news (dated 18-Oct-2011) 3 planes (from Syria, Qatar, and Turkey) have flown towards Cairo Airport to transfer the prisoners who will be released in accordance with the prisoner swap deal, to the country which have agreed to host them.

Izzat Al Rashk a member of the political office of Hamas has told United Press International "the prisoners released to outside, 15 will head to Damascus, 15 to Doha, 10 to Turkey.

He added that the prisoners will depart Cairo after being received by the top leaders of Hamas headed by the president of the political office of the movement Khalid Misha'al.

-----

Qatar is playing almost everything; Libya, Political Office of Taliban, hosting exiled Palestinians.

I read somewhere that Qatar wants the Arab league to be dissolved as it is not viable to keep it running. Qatar wants a new league to be formed "in a better form" than the Arab League (I forgot the name that they used) and the HQ for it to be in Doha.

 

[Quasar]

 

[500]

There is no one who does not know about Gilad Shalit, the soldier for whose sake Israel turned Gaza upside down, killed thousands of people, including women and children, and turned Gaza into an open-air prison.

What an utter nonsense. Only operation linked to Shalit was "Summer Rains" immideately after abduction, all the rest were result of Hamas rocket fire at civilians. Dont know what the hell is "open air prison".

The subject on which the negotiations were about to be locked was whether 27 Hamas women were to be released. But later this issue was overcome and a few days ago Mashaal called Davutoğlu from Syria and told him the deal was struck. “If you do not have any objection, we will announce it in a few hours. I wanted you to know first,” he said. Davutoğlu said: “This is a totally humanitarian matter. We thank you for being helpful in this issue. The deal is also appropriate from our point of view.”

These women were very minor issue. What was important is 11 top Hamas terrorists which Israel refused to release (and they were not released in the end). Amd expulsion of other dangerous terrorists to Gaza.

 

[Quasar]

...............................

 

[RedBeard]

Hope that this conflict will come to an end and no more people will be hurt. Terrorism is a crime against humanity, anyone bombing busses full of people, or bombing houses with whole families inside from the air are both acts of terrorism which i pray dont happen again.

 

[silko]

are those prisoners that is coming to Turkey charged for terrorism in Israel?

 

[Solomon2]

Apparently only 300 will return to the West Bank and Gaza. The other 700 are going elsewhere - probably Turkey, but maybe elsewhere: link

Erdogan touts the deal as promoting family reunions. It should be recalled that the U.N.'s definition of a Palestinian "refugee" is rather broad, as it includes individuals who were in Mandate territory for a period of two months in the 1947-49 period, even those who were temporary workers and had their families elsewhere. They were trapped because after the Independence War the leaders of surrounding Arab states refused to let them go home. Presumably the terrorists released who don't go to Turkey may now finally join their cousins in Egypt, Syria, etc.

 

[500]

Palestinian prisoners, released as part of a deal that freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, flash the V-sign in a car upon arrival at the Esenboga airport in Ankara, on October 19, 2011. Israel began on October 18 releasing 1,027 Palestinian prisoners in two stages in exchange for the handover of Shalit, who was snatched by Gaza militants in June 2006.

Woman in front is Amna Moona. She lured 16 year old teen through internet chat into Ramallah where he was killed.

 

[monitor]

Woman in front is Amna Moona. She lured 16 year old teen through internet chat into Ramallah where he was killed.

How can a old woman lured a teen ? A propaganda ?

 

[500]

How can a old woman lured a teen ? A propaganda ?

She is not old, just got fat in jail.

http://ipic.su/img/img3/fs/********-dot-com-78677f2385dd-13_hh.1318993468.jpg

She admitted and bragged about her action.

BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Woman 'confesses to internet murder'

 

[RedBeard]

If thats true you shouldnt let this pig go, 500, is she member of any known group like hamas or fatah?