Israel and Turkey: it’s time to compromise – 2

Pyotr Lukimson, Israel. Exclusively to VK

Continuation of the topic. Beginning: http://vestnikkavkaza.net/articles/politics/29442.html

According to sources, a top Turkish official, the private envoy of Prime Minister Erdogan, came to Israel. The visit appears to be the first by Erdogan’s envoy to Israel from the moment that ties worsened. Before the visit only Israel tried to fix an indirect dialogue between two leaders.

Israeli observers state that the visit of the Turkish government representative to Israel became possible due to mediation of the EU and the US. According to them, the envoy met a range of Israeli top officials and said that Turkey is ready to ease its previous demands in favor of normalization of relations. At the same time, the Defense Minister Ehud Barak stated that the proposals should be accepted as normalization of relations with Turkey is one of the most important interests of Israel. Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and the Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are thinking it over.

One of Israeli diplomats told VK: “Both sides understand that they have climbed up to high trees in the conflict and they don’t know how to climb down, even though they want to do it. It was significant for us to hear from the guest from Ankara that Premier Erdogan realizes importance of normalization of relations with Israel and wants it. We want it too. Moreover, many people in the Foreign Ministry and the government are ready to compromise within due limits in favor of the normalization. Until recent time Ankara hasn’t show any flexibility in the issue. Let’s see what will be now. But I wouldn’t expect immediate approaching of Turkish-Israeli relations in all spheres. Probably it will be staged.”

Other sources state that during meetings of Erdogan’s envoy and the Israeli authorities a special attention was paid to discussion of the situation in Syria and a possible reaction of Israel at its development. The visit was undertaken in the context of worsening relations between Turkey and Iran, considering differences in their positions on the Syrian problem.