Kerry to pay his second visit to Turkey: Middle East peace on top

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will stage his second visit to Turkey in two months this weekend amid improving bilateral relations and expectations that he will offer Ankara a role to play in the Mideast peace process thanks to its influence with Hamas.

“Turkey has significant influence with the Palestinians. It has the ability to encourage Palestinians of all stripes to accept Quartet principles and move forward on that basis,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington on April 4.

The quartet is composed of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia.

U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to the Middle East revived hopes for peace talks amid ongoing efforts to reunify divided Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah under a single roof.

Kerry is expected to arrive in Istanbul late April 6 and to hold meetings with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu prior to meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials next week. Arriving after the Israeli apology to Turkey over the Mavi Marmara incident, Kerry’s visit will provide the first opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with his Turkish counterparts.

The core of the Istanbul talks is expected to focus on restoring bilateral Turkish-Israeli relations and how Turkey could do more to contribute to the Middle East peace process if Israelis and Palestinians agree to start a new round of negotiations for a two-state solution.

Only a few days after Kerry’s visit to Turkey and Israel, delegations from the two countries will meet in Ankara to sort out the issue of compensation for the Mavi Marmara raid, Turkey’s second condition for reconciling with the Israeli government. Kerry is expected to continue to proffer advice to both sides to carry out what they have started after the apology with the ultimate purpose of normalizing ties within a certain time frame.

On Turkey’s role in the potential Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Turkey has been continuously advised to pursue a more balanced policy between the key actors of the process, especially Hamas, which is designated as a terror organization by the U.S.

To this end, Erdogan’s plans to visit Gaza in April are seen as a factor that could complicate the international community’s efforts and potential Turkish role if the talks are resumed. Both U.S. and Israeli officials have emphasized that they would not object to such a visit to Gaza, while adding that it could spark potential difficulties.


/HurriyetDailynews/