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Turkey happy with US backing for Syria-Israel talks
05 Jun 2008 20:04:49 GMT
 Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - Turkey is sure the United States backs the indirect peace talks it is mediating between Israel and Syria, Ankara's foreign minister said on Thursday.

Speaking after he met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan sought to dispel the idea that Washington -- which has sought to isolate Damascus -- had offered only lukewarm support for the dialogue between Israel and Syria.

Babacan also stressed the importance of the Israel-Syria track, saying "it seems that the international community really has been waiting for this for a while."

"The Syria-Israeli track is now open again and we hope that that reaches a much-expected result," Babacan told reporters at a joint news conference with Rice at the State Department.

Israel and Syria announced last month that they had begun a dialogue mediated by Turkey with the aim of a comprehensive peace deal, the first confirmation of negotiations between the longtime enemies in eight years.

Once the talks were announced, U.S. officials said they would welcome a peace agreement between the two countries, but made clear their focus would be on the Israeli-Palestinian Mideast peace track.

Babacan said that the United States had been one of the first countries to make public statements of support for the Syria-Israel dialogue.

"We have no doubt about it," he told a reporter who asked whether he wished for stronger U.S. support. "We are happy" about U.S. backing for the process.

Turkey has good ties with both Israel and Syria.

The relationship between Turkey and the United States, NATO allies, has improved in recent years after being strained by Turkey's refusal to allow Washington to build up forces on its territory ahead of the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The Bush administration walked away from high-level contacts with the Syrians after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in 2005. The United States suspects Syria of the killing, a charge Syria denies.

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Eric Beech)


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