Category: Regions

SOMALIA: The motive behind Somalia-Somaliland talks in Turkey

By: Abdalle Ahmed

Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Mogadishu (RBC) Both Somalia’s federal government and the northern break away region of Somaliland have accepted to attend newly established talks in Turkey changing the talks table from London to Istanbul.

In a press conference in Hargeysa last week, Somaliland foreign minister Mohamud Abdullahi Omar confirmed that Somaliland administration has received the invitation letter from the Turkish prime minister to come to Turkey for talks with the Somali federal government.

He pointed out that Turkish role was very clear due to its interest towards Somali territory.

In 2012, both sides have started the first formal talks in London and were mediated by the British government but the minister did not make clear why the talks were transferred from London to Istanbul. The Somaliland voice came days after the administration has rejected to participate the upcoming London Conference on Somalia.

According to sources the new round of the talks between Somalia federal government and Somaliland administration were still the works of the Britons. The British pressured Somaliland either to attend to London Conference II which is dated on May 7th, or agree to some sort of meeting with Somali Federal Government prior to the conference. This will give the upcoming conference some sort of unanimity for the Internationals to see. Meaning, that Somali Federal Government is for all the country, Puntland is here and the missing Somalilanders are not here for technical reasons but they were in Istanbul just yesterday.

Somaliland demands

Somaliland president, Ahmed Mohamed Mohamud Siilaanyo.

With due to the pressure from British government, the Somaliland administration has principally agreed the nature of the negotiation but has brought conditions, which include;-

– That Somali Federal Government led by president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud should recognize “crimes committed” against the people in Somaliland.

– That the talks between the two sides [Somali Federal Government and Somaliland] will focus on areas of cooperation such as borders, security and trade.

– That no discussions on sovereignty, unity etc will be put in the agenda.

On its turn, the British government suggested that the two sides’ talks should be held in one of the following countries Qatar, UAE or Turkey to avoid that new talks might taint London atmosphere days before the London Conference II, whereby the two sides finally agreed to hold talks in Turkey.

Meanwhile London suggested that the Final Communique of the Turkey meeting will be drafted between Somali Federal Government, UK, Somaliland and some input from Turkey in the development areas as the outcome shall be one of positive. Meanwhile all sides were asked to submit their inputs before April 15.

According to a diplomatic sources Somali Federal Government is reportedly on hectic days on the internal disputes with Jubbaland administration formation process and by that way Turkish government will submit on its behalf.

RBC Radio

via SOMALIA: The motive behind Somalia-Somaliland talks in Turkey | RBC Radio.

April 8, 2013
Report: Apology won’t change Turkey, ‘weakens Israel’s deterrence’

Report: Apology won’t change Turkey, ‘weakens Israel’s deterrence’

Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — Israel’s apology to Turkey for the bloody interception of

a flotilla to the Gaza Strip harms the deterrence of the Jewish state, a

report said.

The report, titled “Israel’s Apology to Turkey: A Mistake,” asserted

that the apology by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the 2010 Israel

Navy interception of a Turkish-flotilla, in which eight Turks were killed,

undermines Israel and encourages Turkish belligerency.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan for a 2010 raid on a Turkish flotilla ship. /Getty Images

The report by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies said Netanyahu’s apology would fail to restore strategic cooperation with Turkey, which existed for most of the last 20 years.

“It is highly unlikely that we will see a reversal or a turnaround in

Turkey’s anti-Western and anti-Israeli policies,” author Efraim Inbar,

director of the strategic center, said. “The apology from Jerusalem only

enhances Turkish ambitions and weakens Israel’s deterrence.”

The report, dated March 24, was one of several that criticized Israel’s

apology to Turkey as well as agreement to grant Ankara the right to

intervene with the Palestinian Authority and the Hamas regime. Inbar, a

leading Israeli strategist who served as a consultant to several

governments, said Ankara, intent on leading the Middle East, has no

intention to improve relations with Israel.

Inbar said Turkey, under Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, has become a

supporter of Iran, Hamas and the Islamist Sunni rebels in Syria. The report

said Erdogan, who called Zionism a threat to humanity, is “plainly

anti-Semitic.”

“Turkey is also actively helping radical Islamic Sunni elements take

over Syria,” the report said. “It also supports the idea of violent

opposition against Israel’s presence on the Golan Heights. As such, the hope

that Israel and Turkey can cooperate together with the United States in

limiting the damage from a disintegrating Syria has little validity.”

The report attributed Netanyahu’s apology to pressure by the United

States. The apology also came in wake of Palestinian rocket attacks on

Israel from the Gaza Strip, which Erdogan has pledged to visit.

“Furthermore, an apology to a Hamas supporter, just a day after Hamas

again launched rockets against Israel, communicates terrible weakness,” the

report said. “Sanctioning an Erdogan victory trip to Gaza at this particular

moment is terribly foolish, too, particularly when Israel is seeking to

bolster the standing of the rival Palestinian Authority.”

via Report: Apology won’t change Turkey, ‘weakens Israel’s deterrence’ | World Tribune.

April 8, 2013
Kerry urges Turkey, Israel to normalize relations

Kerry urges Turkey, Israel to normalize relations

English.news.cn 2013-04-07 19:09:49

• John Kerry on Sunday urged Turkish leaders to speedily restore full diplomatic relations with Israel.

• Kerry called on the two countries to send back their ambassadors to each other as soon as possible.

• Obama brokered reconciliation between Turkey and Israel during his trip to the region last month.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) attends a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after arriving at Istanbul, Turkey, April 7, 2013, as a part of his third trip to the Middle East in one month. Kerry will meet with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan Sunday afternoon. (Xinhua/Lu Zhe)

ISTANBUL, April 7 (Xinhua) — Visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged here Turkish leaders to speedily restore full diplomatic relations with Israel, saying Washington sees both countries as anchor of stability in the Middle East.

The top U.S. diplomat made the remarks at a press conference shortly after his talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in the coastal city of Istanbul, the first leg of his third trip to the Middle East in one month.

Kerry called on the two countries, both important U.S. allies, to send back their ambassadors to each other as soon as possible, adding the Turkish-Israeli cooperation will help tackle challenges confronting the region.

John Kerry headed to the Middle East on Saturday in a fresh bid to unlock long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

“We would like to see the relationship, which is important for the Middle East region, for the Israel-Palestine peace process,” Kerry said at the conference.

He added that Turkey can be a key contributor to future development of the West Bank and Gaza.

U.S. President Barack Obama brokered reconciliation between Turkey and Israel during his trip to the region last month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered an apology to Turkey after Obama’s visit for the 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

The raid, killing eight Turks and one Turkish American, seriously strained ties between the two close regional allies to the United States.

On this issue, Davutoglu said compensation for flotilla deaths and lift of the embargo against Gaza are Turkey’s demand for Israel in the next stage.

“Victims in this incident have to be compensated… An offense was done and it has to be taken to accountability,” Davutoglu said, setting conditions for normalizing ties with Israel.

The Turkish foreign minister also urged improving the living standards of people in Gaza. “Turkey wants to see a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine based on pre-1967 lines, which will aims to establish peaceful order in the Middle East.”

Speaking of Iran’s nuclear program, Kerry said the international community would continue talks with Iran to resolve the decade-old issue but stressed the process could not continue for ever.

“Diplomacy is a painful task and a task for the patient,” he said, in reference to the talks between Iran and the world powers in Kazakhstan that ended on Saturday after failing to break a deadlock.

On the anti-terrorism front, Kerry welcomed the recent disarmament by the Kurdish Workers’ Party in Turkey and praised Turkish government’s efforts to end the three-decade old conflict.

He added that difficult steps lay ahead and lasting peace will improve lives of all citizens.

On the Syrian issue, both Kerry and Davutoglu reiterated their stance that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go. They also agreed that a new round of “Friends of Syria” meeting should be held as soon as possible.

Later on Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Kerry in Istanbul.

The U.S. diplomat will also visit Israel, Britain, South Korea, China and Japan, where talks will focus on North Korea’s nuclear program.

Related:

News Analysis: Rapprochement reveals alignment between Turkey, Israel in regional politics

ANKARA, March 23 (Xinhua) — The U.S.-brokered normalization of ties between Turkey and Israel following the latter’s belated apology for a naval raid three years ago means a greater alignment of both countries’ goals in the Mideast against the backdrop of fast-paced developments in the region.

Turkey severed diplomatic and security ties with Israel after eight Turks and a Turkish American aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla were killed in May 2010 during a violent confrontation with Israeli commandos. Full story

Israel, Turkey to restore relations after Netanyahu apologizes for Gaza flotilla deaths

JERUSALEM, March 22 (Xinhua) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday phoned his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and apologized for an Israeli naval raid three years ago in which nine Turkish nationals were killed, with the two leaders agreeing to normalize bilateral relations, Netanyahu’s office said.

The dramatic announcement came shortly after U.S. President Barack Obama departed Israel at the end of a three-day visit.

via Kerry urges Turkey, Israel to normalize relations – Xinhua | English.news.cn.

April 8, 2013
Kerry Says ‘Vibrant’ Turkey Can Play Key Role In Middle East

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that Turkey can play a major role in the Middle East peace process.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet in Istanbul
Speaking in Istanbul, Kerry described Turkey as “vibrant and energized” and said it could be key in advancing Mideast peace by encouraging reconciliation between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah.

Kerry, who met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, urged Turkish officials to repair ties with Israel.

Relations between the two countries broke down three years ago, after Israeli forces raided a Turkish aid ship.

Turkey is Kerry’s first stop on a 10-day diplomatic trip to the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Later today, the U.S. secretary of state is due to travel on to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa

via Kerry Says ‘Vibrant’ Turkey Can Play Key Role In Middle East.

April 8, 2013
Kerry hails PKK move on ceasefire

ISTANBUL: US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday hailed the commitment of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to a ceasefire under a renewed push by the Turkish government to end three decades of hostilities.

“We welcome the PKK’s commitment to lay down its arms,” Kerry told a news conference in Istanbul with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

“We discussed our work to combat terrorism in all its forms … including the violence that has plagued Turkey for three long decades,” he said.

“No peace process is easy. It always takes courage and determination.”

Both countries are members of Nato, and the United States has for several years supported Ankara in its fight against the PKK on Iraqi soil.

The PKK is blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara, the European Union and the United States.

Jailed Kurdish rebel chief Abdullah Ocalan last month called for a ceasefire in a move that raised expectations for an end to a conflict that has cost some 45,000 lives, mostly Kurdish.

AFP

April 8, 2013
Kerry to press Turkey on Israel ties, Syrian border, Iraq

REUTERS/Paul J. Richards/Pool

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry talks to reporters after finding out that the aircraft had a mechanical failure before take off, at the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland April 6, 2013.

By Arshad Mohammed, Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will press Turkey on Sunday to quickly normalize relations with Israel, keep its border with Syria open to refugees and improve ties with Iraq, a senior U.S. official said.

Kerry arrived in Istanbul some two weeks after U.S. President Barack Obama brokered a rapprochement between Turkey and Israel, whose relations were shattered by the killing of nine Turkish citizens in a 2010 Israeli naval raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.

The rapprochement could help regional coordination to contain spillover from the Syrian civil war and ease Israel’s diplomatic isolation in the Middle East as it faces challenges posed by Iran’s nuclear program.

Despite Obama’s having pulled off a diplomatic coup on March 22 – a three-way telephone call with the Israeli and Turkish prime ministers, who had not spoken since 2011 – Washington has some concerns that Turkey might be backtracking on the deal.

Israel bowed to a long-standing demand by Ankara, once its close strategic partner, to apologize formally for the deaths aboard the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara. It was boarded by Israeli marines who had intercepted a flotilla challenging Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had agreed to conclude an agreement on compensation and that he and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan agreed to normalize ties, including returning their ambassadors to their posts.

A senior U.S. official told reporters traveling with Kerry that he “will encourage Turkey to expeditiously implement its agreement with Israel and fully normalize their relationship to allow for deeper cooperation between the two countries.”

While the official denied the United States was worried the Turkish government might be backing away from the deal, another U.S. official earlier this week said Washington was concerned.

Kerry will also raise Syria and Iraq during his talks on Sunday with Erdogan and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul, his first stop on a 10-day trip to the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

One of the underlying motivations for the Israeli-Turkish rapprochement, at least on the Israeli side, has been a desire to secure allies in the region as the Syrian civil war churns into its third year.

Kerry’s message in Istanbul will include “reiterating the importance of keeping the borders open to Syrians fleeing from violence,” the senior U.S. official told reporters with Kerry.

The official said this was a reference to reports, which Turkey denied on March 28, that it had rounded up and deported hundreds of Syrian refugees following unrest at a border camp.

Witnesses said hundreds of Syrians were bussed to the border after clashes in which refugees in the Suleymansah camp, near the Turkish town of Akcakale, threw rocks at military police, who fired teargas and water cannon.

Turkey’s foreign ministry said 130 people, identified as being “involved in the provocations,” crossed back into Syria voluntarily, either because they did not want to face judicial proceedings or because of repercussions from other refugees.

The incident highlighted the strain that the exodus from Syria’s civil war is placing on neighboring states.

Since the revolt in Syria began two years ago, more than 1.2 million Syrians fleeing violence and persecution have registered as refugees or await processing in neighboring countries and North Africa, according to U.N. figures.

They include 261,635 in Turkey, mostly staying in 17 camps, many of them teeming.

Kerry also plans to nudge Turkey to improve ties with Iraq, which is troubled by efforts by its autonomous Kurdistan region, where ethnic Kurds have administered their affairs since 1991, to sell energy to Turkey.

The Iraqi central government argues that this would deprive it of oil revenues that belong to Iraq as a whole.

via Kerry to press Turkey on Israel ties, Syrian border, Iraq – World News.

April 8, 2013