Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ended a diplomatic visit in Turkey yesterday where he met with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, Minister of State Kemal Dervis and President Ahmet Necdet Sezer. Parliamentary opposition in Turkey preceded Sharon\'s visit, and protests were held throughout the day. Demonstrators in Ankara called Sharon, “Butcher of Palestine.” Police arrested 135 students and Islamic activists in Istanbul.
In talks with the Turkish leadership, and at a joint press conference with Ecevit afterwards, differences of opinion concerning Israel’s policies were openly expressed. The Turkish Prime Minister said that he understood Israeli security concerns, but that negotiations with Arafat must be resumed without preconditions since, “a complete cessation of the violence is unrealistic.” In response, Ariel Sharon said that there would have to remain a disagreement between the two countries, as “there will be no resumption of talks until there is an absolute and I stress absolute cessation of terrorism, violence and incitement.” The Turkish Prime Minister expressed concern about Israeli closure of Arab villages in Judea and Samaria. He offered to include a Turkish officer in any international observer force sent to the region. Sharon rejected outright any international observers and explained that “Israel is behaving now in exactly the same way that you, Turkey, would behave in similar circumstances.”
Minister of Regional Cooperation Tzipi Livni, who accompanied the Prime Minister to Turkey, told Arutz 7 that there exists agreement on basic principles, but there are disagreements about specific policies.
Entertaining questions from reporters, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was asked about events at the “Haram al-Sharif”, the Moslem name given to the Temple Mount. Answering in Hebrew, the Prime Minister asked, \"What is he talking about? What? Oh, the Temple Mount.\" Sharon then explained that the area referred to was the site of Israel\'s holy Temple and that it is “mentioned repeatedly in the Bible by our Prophets.”
Other important matters were also on the agenda, including a series of new defense projects and the possible sale of Turkish water to Israel. The Turkish Daily News reports that the relatively slight protests and the diplomatic sparring “will have little impact in a country that is expanding its already flourishing political, economic and military ties with Israel.”
In talks with the Turkish leadership, and at a joint press conference with Ecevit afterwards, differences of opinion concerning Israel’s policies were openly expressed. The Turkish Prime Minister said that he understood Israeli security concerns, but that negotiations with Arafat must be resumed without preconditions since, “a complete cessation of the violence is unrealistic.” In response, Ariel Sharon said that there would have to remain a disagreement between the two countries, as “there will be no resumption of talks until there is an absolute and I stress absolute cessation of terrorism, violence and incitement.” The Turkish Prime Minister expressed concern about Israeli closure of Arab villages in Judea and Samaria. He offered to include a Turkish officer in any international observer force sent to the region. Sharon rejected outright any international observers and explained that “Israel is behaving now in exactly the same way that you, Turkey, would behave in similar circumstances.”
Minister of Regional Cooperation Tzipi Livni, who accompanied the Prime Minister to Turkey, told Arutz 7 that there exists agreement on basic principles, but there are disagreements about specific policies.
Entertaining questions from reporters, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was asked about events at the “Haram al-Sharif”, the Moslem name given to the Temple Mount. Answering in Hebrew, the Prime Minister asked, \"What is he talking about? What? Oh, the Temple Mount.\" Sharon then explained that the area referred to was the site of Israel\'s holy Temple and that it is “mentioned repeatedly in the Bible by our Prophets.”
Other important matters were also on the agenda, including a series of new defense projects and the possible sale of Turkish water to Israel. The Turkish Daily News reports that the relatively slight protests and the diplomatic sparring “will have little impact in a country that is expanding its already flourishing political, economic and military ties with Israel.”