Ardogan refuses to meet with Sharon
Turkey-Israel, Politics, 11/6/2003

The Israeli embassy in Ankara announced yesterday that the Turkish authorities refused a proposal made by the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon to stop in Ankara upon his return back from Moscow, under the pretext of the preoccupation of the prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

One Israeli diplomat said that "Sharon thought of stopping in Ankara to meet with his Turkish peer," noting that Israel "understands" the reasons which made the Turkish side takes this position. She added "we will seek better timing for a future visit."

Turkey the Muslim country of a secular regime is the only alley in the region for Israel since 1996 when it signed with it a military cooperation agreement that provoked the regret of the Arab states and Iran. Ankara maintains also good relations with the Palestinians and supports their demands to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state." Turkey had recently criticized Sharon's policy towards the Palestinians, especially in dealing with the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat who enjoys great popularity in Turkey.

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