Assad: Israel doesn't want Turkey because it’s fair

“Israel opposes Turkey's objective stance. Turkey is objective, and Israel does not want this,” Assad was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency at a joint press conference with visiting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Damascus late on Wednesday. The Syrian leader also criticized Israel for not being serious about wanting peace. “We discussed today ways to bring the peace process out of the deadlock it has reached ... because of the absence of a serious Israeli partner who aims to achieve peace,” Assad said.

“We are dealing with a fictitious partner that presents itself as a partner in the peace process, when in fact the opposite is true.”

Peace talks between Israel and Syria collapsed in 2000 over Syrian demands for a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau Israel captured in the 1967 war and later annexed. Talks resumed under Turkish mediation last year, but they collapsed after an Israeli offensive in Gaza that killed about 1,400 Palestinians. Israel now says new talks must be direct and begin without conditions.

“When Israel says it wants negotiations without conditions, it means it wants negotiations with no foundation. This is like having a building with no foundation, then it’s very easy to be brought down and they want to bring down the peace process,” Assad said, stating that peace will be out of reach if Israel refuses to discuss withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

Israel now has ruled out resuming Turkish-mediated talks with Syria, saying Turkey cannot be the mediator again because its criticism of Israel means it has lost its impartiality. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently courted France as a potential mediator instead of Turkey.

Assad, who has repeatedly said his country wants Turkey as a mediator, said he was not opposed to other countries helping with peace efforts but emphasized that this did not mean Syria wants to replace an already successful mediator with another one.

Assad praised Turkey’s efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, saying it is one of the biggest actors involved in peace efforts.

Erdoğan said Turkey was ready to resume mediating talks if Israel also agrees to return to the talks with Turkish mediation. “But we can’t force it. Israel has indicated it wants French mediation. We are happy with statements Assad has made on this; we know he does not want [French President Nicolas] Sarkozy’s mediation,” Erdoğan said.

Both leaders called on Israel to end the blockade of Gaza. Erdoğan said an international aid convoy that departed from Britain early this month should be allowed to reach Gaza. The Viva Palestina humanitarian aid convoy has already transited Turkey and Syria and is scheduled to reach Gaza on Sunday after passing through Jordan and Egypt. The convoy encountered problems in Jordan on Thursday, and reports earlier said Egypt might not give the go-ahead to the aid convoy.

Erdoğan said preventing the convoy from reaching to Gaza would run counter to human rights standards. “Everyone should do their share to make sure this convoy reaches Gaza and the people waiting for help there,” he said.

Assad: Turkey plays role in Syria-Lebanon rapprochement

The Syrian leader also revealed Turkey was involved in efforts to resolve problems between Syria and Lebanon. He said Turkey had a role in recent rapprochement between Damascus and Beirut and added that “a few people know about this.” He did not elaborate.

Erdoğan, accompanied by 10 Cabinet ministers, visited Syria to attend a meeting of the High Level Strategic Cooperation Council and oversee the signing of dozens of agreements of cooperation. On Wednesday the two countries signed 51 agreements on cooperation in a wide range of areas including water, energy, health, culture, security, trade, electricity, oil and natural gas.

Erdoğan said his talks in Syria were a “first milestone in a long way” ahead. “Syria is our door to the Middle East and our second home. Turkey is Syria’s door to Europe and its second home,” he said, noting that the trade volume between the two countries, currently standing at $2 billion, will reach $5 billion in the next three to four years. Assad said Syrian-Turkish relations should serve as a model to the rest of the region. “Whoever wants peace in the Middle East should … see us as an example.”