BY NURAY BASARAN
AKSAM- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s meetings with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul were productive. Following recent sharp domestic criticisms of the US, Rice questioned the Turkish-US strategic partnership but was reassured by Turkish officials. Stating that the US has always tried to ensure Iraq’s integrity, Rice said, ‘Friends will sometimes disagree, but when we disagree, we have to do so from a basis that still understands the vital importance of this relationship.’ So, although Turkey has problems with its expectations from Washington, the US signalled that it places importance on Turkish-US relations. Rice also met in Israel with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. During these meetings, she expressed her support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. As he came to power through the recent elections, it’s likely that Abbas will try to take advantage of this US support as much as possible.
Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan will hold a summit in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt this week, a meeting seen as a preliminary stop towards peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Before the summit, Israel confirmed the immediate release of 500 of 900 Palestinian prisoners with the remaining 400 to follow in three months as a goodwill gesture under the Road Map. On the Palestinian side, the Fatah movement pledged to end attacks on Israeli civilians, but no ceasefire came from Hamas. Israel doesn’t favor welcome Egypt’s becoming a mediator between the two sides. Israel would prefer to play the leading role between equal powers. In light of all these developments, Turkey’s playing the role of a mediator or leader in the Middle East peace process remains a mere wish for now.