EVERYTHING'S COMIN' UP ROSES:

Turkish Foreign Minister Brings Syrian Peace Message to Israel (Larry James, 5 January 2005, VOA News)

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is on a mission to Israel with a two-fold purpose: improve ties with the Jewish state and offer to serve as intermediary with Syria on the possible resumption of peace talks.

The dominant theme of the Gul visit has been the Turkish officials offer for his country to serve as an intermediary to get peace talks between Syria and Israel restarted.

While visiting the Yad Vashem holocaust memorial, Mr. Gul said he believes Syria wants peace. He told a news conference Turkey could use its good relations with all the countries of the region - Syria and Lebanon, as well as Israel - to facilitate a resumption of talks. "We should use our friendship," said Abdullah Gul. "We should contribute. Since Turkey has a good relation with them now we are doing our best."

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon did not mention Syria by name but, at a welcoming ceremony for the visiting Turkish official at his office, he said he believes the Gul visit could help bring quiet and possibly peace to the region.

The cold reality for Arab nations is that once there's a Palestinian state their best knout for whipping Israel is gone, something Saif al Islam was, typically, the first to recognize.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 5, 2005 12:12 PM