Sarkozy tried in vain to replace Turkey as peacemaker

The last direct talks stalled in 2000 in a dispute over how much of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in the 1967 war, should be returned to Syria. Peace efforts restarted in 2007 under Turkish auspices, and Turkey facilitated several rounds of indirect peace talks between Syria and Israel. Yet, soon after the start of the Gaza offensive, Syria said it had suspended talks with Israel, and then-Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said it was not possible to continue with peace efforts on the Israeli-Syrian track while war raged on along the Israeli-Palestinian track.

The Syrian president was in Paris on Friday, two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the city and said he was ready to meet the Syrian president anywhere, at any time, without pre-established conditions, to re-launch talks over the Israeli-Syrian dimension of the broader Mideast peace process.

Sarkozy, who apparently wanted to steal the show in the Middle East process, tried to arrange the two leaders’ visits to Paris at the same time. This way, even if he could not succeed in gathering Assad and Netanyahu together, he would be able to introduce their simultaneous presence in Paris as “France’s great role in peace efforts.” However, Assad said he would not land in Paris until Netanyahu’s plane departed the city, spoiling Sarkozy’s plans.

Moreover, following talks with Sarkozy, Assad highlighted on Friday the importance he attaches to Turkey’s role in any new negotiation process with Israel -- an emphasis which pleased Ankara. “If Mr. Netanyahu is serious, he can send his teams of experts, we will send our teams of experts to Turkey. They can then talk, if they are really interested in peace,” Assad said following talks with the French leader. In an interview broadcast on Friday evening, Assad said France “should support the role of the Turkish mediator and persuade Israel to return to the negotiating table with the Turkish mediator,”

Netanyahu, meanwhile, said on Sunday Turkey would not be an “honest broker” in any renewed peace talks with Syria. He said he preferred direct talks, but “if a mediator is involved, he should be impartial. The Turkish prime minister has not reinforced his image as an objective, unbiased mediator,” he was quoted as saying.

Turkey warns of disappointment

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who was on an official visit to Spain on Monday, said Turkey would support all kinds of good-will initiatives in the Middle East, when reminded of France’s plan to hold a new Middle East conference, the participants of which will reportedly not include Turkey.

Davutoğlu warned that without sufficient preparations, such efforts may well lead to disappointment. “Eight months have passed since the meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, but the same disaster is continuing in Gaza. Conferences and meetings which do not set their goals precisely may lead to disappointment,” Davutoğlu said. He added that Turkey supports US President Barack Obama’s Middle East policy.

In regards to mediation between Israel and Syria, Davutoğlu said both sides should be willing to retry this for Turkey to be able to undertake that role, while underlining that mediation was not a matter of prestige for Turkey, which views the issue within the framework of regional peace.