Turkey’s president said on Monday that Israel should give up building new settlements and start displaying a positive stance for the continuation of the peace talks with Palestine.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine held a tete-a-tete meeting and later co-chaired talks between Turkish and Palestinian delegations at the Cankaya Presidential Palace in Ankara on Monday.
Appearing at a joint press conference with Abbas afterwards, Turkish President Gul said developments regarding the critical peace process in the Middle East were on the agenda of the Palestinian leader’s talks in Turkey.
Gul said that an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, should be founded in order to establish peace in the Middle East.
“We have previously expressed our strong support for the peace talks that started in the region in September. In order for the continuation of these peace talks, Israel should give up constructing new settlements and demolishing houses, besides, it should display a positive stance,” Gul said.
The Turkish president also noted that Jerusalem’s unique status was of great importance.
“Studies aiming at changing the identity and culture of Jerusalem, a city which has been home to different religions for thousands of years, should be stopped immediately,” Gul said.
Gul stated that Turkey would maintain its close cooperation and solidarity with Palestine, moreover, it would continue to extend social and economic support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Upon a question on Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu’s recent talks with Israeli officials in Geneva, President Gul said the talks had been held at a “technical level”.
“Turkey has clear expectations regarding the normalization of its relations with Israel,” the president said.
Gul also noted that Turkey welcomed Brazil and Argentina’s decision to recognize the state of Palestine.
“Presence of a Palestinian state is a reality. We expect everybody to recognize the independent state of Palestine just like we did in the past,” he added.
DISSOLUTION OF PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT IS NOT IN QUESTION, PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT
Palestine’s president said on Monday that no demands had been voiced for the dissolution of the Palestinian government.
Speaking at a press conference following his talks with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in capital Ankara, President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine said his country was aware that Turkey attached great importance to the Palestinian issue.
Abbas said all the issues concerning Palestine had been thoroughly discussed during his latest talks with Turkish officials.
Noting that his country had not yet received any clear notice for the resumption of peace talks with Israel, Abbas said there was also no indicator showing that the Jewish settlements in Palestine, particularly the ones in Jerusalem, had been stopped.
“Unless these settlements are stopped, we cannot carry on with the peace talks,” he said.The president also noted that Palestine would have various options to follow in case peace talks did not start again.
Upon a question on what these options would be, Abbas said one of the primary alternatives would be to call on other states to recognize Palestine’s independence, adding his country did not consider dissolving the Palestinian government an option.
Abbas also noted that the alternate methods would be implemented gradually if peace talks with Israel failed.
AA