Israel's FM officials have said that Turkey is the ideal mediator for the issue of the occupied Golan Heights, but some observers have predicted difficulties in the process.

Analysts comment on process - 12 / 05 / 2008 09:02

Israel's leading academics and Foreign Ministry officials have said that Turkey is the ideal mediator for the issue of the occupied Golan Heights, but some observers have predicted difficulties in the process.

Syria recently revealed that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had informed Damascus that Israel had stated its willingness to withdraw from the region in exchange for a sustainable peace.

Turkish officials are moving to convene a three-way meeting with Israeli and Syrian representatives, with İstanbul the most likely setting, in an effort to jumpstart peace negotiations between the two countries, Israeli media reported on May 8, citing a report in London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Hayat.

"Ankara would like both sides to commit to a signed declaration as a starting point for talks. Turkey decided to postpone the proposed sit-down after the Syrians revealed Israel's stated willingness to withdraw from the Golan Heights in exchange for peace," the al-Hayat report said.

The newspaper added that the concerns of the Syrian leadership were assuaged by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's refusal to deny or backtrack from the claims when word reached the news media in Israel.

Moshe Ma'oz, a professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, pointed out that not only does Turkey have good relations with Israel and Syria, but it also has hundreds of years of historical connection to the region.

"Unlike the United States, Turkey has a connection to the region because of its historical ties. Turkey can play a constructive role. If Turkey successfully mediates between Israel and Syria, it can work on Syria's relations with Iran to eliminate Iran's threats against Syria," Ma'oz said.

On the other hand, Zvi Bar'el, a correspondent from the Israeli daily Haaretz, said Israel is not ready to sit at the negotiating table to make peace because Olmert is already having problems maintaining his political grip.

He also said the Israeli public is divided on the issue of giving up the Golan Heights.

"For Turkey to be successful in its mediation efforts, it should be able to bring diplomats from both sides together. These talks could be closed. The second step is for direct talks to be held between the parties, with or without Turkey. The third step is the signing of a peace deal. And this would be possible only if Israel gives up the Golan Heights," Bar'el said.

According to Middle East expert Ehud Ya'ari, this is not the only difficulty for Turkey.

He said Turkey doesn't the authority of such powers as Russia, the United States and the European Union: "Neither Israel nor Syria asked Turkey to mediate between them. Turkey volunteered to do that, making it less effective in its mediation. In that regard, Israel needs the United States, because the US could guarantee security before the signing of any agreements," Ya'ari said.

He also said Syrian President Bashar Assad would neither fully trust Turkey nor give up Syrian claims on the southern province of Hatay, which Assad recognized two years ago as Turkey's territory.

However, Damascus did not formalize this with an official declaration and Hatay is still shown as Syrian territory on Syrian maps.

‘Turkey is special for Israel’

According to Professor Gerald Steinberg, the political studies department chairman at Bar Ilan University, Turkey has broken the silence between Israel and Syria by taking the initiative with its mediation effort.

"If direct talks start, Turkey will gain a considerable amount of credibility. But starting a dialogue will take years," he said.

Professor Steinberg also said Turkey should ask Syria to not support the terrorism of Hamas and Hezbullah and to stop attacking Israel in the media and with official remarks.

"Only after then would Israel support the idea of withdrawing from the Golan Heights," he added.

Steinberg thinks Syrian and Turkish agreement over Hatay could set an example for the solution of the Golan Heights problem between Israel and Syria.

Another academic who sees Turkey's role as constructive and timely is Joseph Nevo, a professor at the department of Middle Eastern history and a senior fellow at the Center for Gulf Studies in the University of Haifa.

"The timing of the mediation is very good and it has been received in a friendly manner by both sides. Both Israel and Syria see Turkey as a trusted neighbor and as an honest power broker," he said.

He added that Turkey's role in mediating between the two should not be reduced to the problem of the Golan Heights as the media has done: "Turkey is trying to develop peace between these countries. This is not only about forcing Israel out of Golan, this is also about having Syria do its part and having it cut its support for such terrorist groups as Hamas, Hezbullah and Islamic Jihad."

Citing Turkey's good relations with Israel going back to the early 1990s, the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Irit Lillian said Israel has always had good feelings toward Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).

"It's hard to say there have never been questions, but if Israel was asked to name five countries of importance for it, it would always count Turkey among these. Israel has special relations with such countries as India and China, but Turkey has a special place for Israel, culturally and economically," he said.

The diplomat said Turkey and Israel have a developed economic partnership as Turkey is Israel's sixth-largest trade partner.

However, criticizing Turkey's "harsh words" in the media pointed sometimes at Israel, Lillian said such comments could be relayed to Israel through less public channels.

Haim Koren, from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also reiterated that Turkey is a trusted country for Israel and that Turkey should continue its mediation efforts between Syria and Israel.

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