SUPPORT ISRAEL BY SHARING OUR ARTICLES

Post Image
svgadminsvgApril 7, 2016svgNews

Israel-Turkey talks end with no progress

The latest round of reconciliation talks between Israel and Turkey which was held in Europe on Thursday ended without any significant progress.

Diplomatic officials told Arutz Sheva that the meeting between Israeli officials Yosef Ciechanover and Yaakov Nagel and officials in Ankara dealt with issues still in dispute between the sides, but no consensus was reached on those issues.

At present, it is unclear when and if talks will resume, but Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in recent days that the Turks believe that the talks will culminate in an agreement.

Earlier on Thursday, senior sources in the Israeli security establishment said Turkey was playing a “double game” in rapprochement talks with Israel.

“There isn’t really anyone to talk with in Turkey. At this point they’re using us to pressure the Russians,” the sources said as cited by Walla.

The sources noted that the normalization talks were largely motivated by Turkey’s desire to buy gas from Israel, and even at the start of the talks last December sources revealed there were plans to discuss a pipeline from Israel to Turkey later on.

In recent months there were repeated reports about breakthroughs in talks between the parties, but Israel continues to insist that Turkey prevent Hamas personnel from entering its territory as part of an agreement.

In recent weeks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been conveying a series of messages to Jerusalem both publicly and through diplomatic channels regarding his desire to come to a reconciliation agreement. Last week, the Turkish president met in Washington with the leaders of major American Jewish organizations, telling them that he hoped to come to an agreement with Israel as soon as possible.

In another development, following last month’s terrorist attack in Istanbul in which three Israelis were among the dead, Erdogan sent a condolence letter to Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. Several days later, the two presidents spoke by phone at Rivlin’s initiative.

svgPA school honors Jerusalem bus killer of three
svg
svg'Home demolition doesn't console us