TURKIYE- Columnist Yilmaz Oztuna writes on the initiatives for Middle East peace. A summary of his column is as follows:
I personally was afraid of Turkey's getting involved in the Palestinian issue, and my fears have proven true. My concern stemmed from the fact that the Palestinian issue goes back some 50 years, and I believe that it will go on for at least for another 50. I never believed that this dispute, which has become an Arab rallyingory, would be solved in the near future. Such dreams have renewed adherents even today. The last chance for such a dream to come true was US President Clinton's initiative to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. It ended in failure, as Arafat feared organizations such as Hamas, Hizbullah and Islamic Jihad, groups which believe in expelling the Jews wholesale. In fact, even if Arafat and the organizations which can survive only with the continuance of the struggle had accepted the Clinton plan, Israel would have found an excuse to avoid signing it. Today, the entire world, including the US as well as Turkey as a Middle Eastern state, have called for Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupies. Even if Sharon balks, there are Israeli politicians who agree with this point of view. However, the explosion of another bomb by a suicide bomber on a bus postponed these ceasefire dreams indefinitely. Turkey already has considerable problems of its own. It can hardly address all of them, and it certainly doesn't need to import new ones. Ismail Cem can go to the Holy Lands with his Greek counterpart. I do not believe that either the Jews or the Arabs will listen to any advice. However, the call to peace is the duty of every state. Certainly, peace will be achieved one day, but no one can even guess at when.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION