Abbas in Ankara, optimistic on achieving peace
Palestine-Turkey, Politics, 2/2/2005

The Palestinian Authority has stressed that peace in the Middle East has witnessed progress despite the vagueness in the fate of the undeclared truce between the Palestinians and Israel.

The Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said upon his arrival in Ankara on Tuesday morning coming from Moscow that progress towards the optimum peace in the Middle East was achieved in recent days, in remarks to what seemed to be the expected summit meeting between him and the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon.

On the expected summit between Abbas and Sharon on February 9 or 10, the security advisor for Abbas, Muhammad Dahlan said that the Palestinian side is not willing to hold such a summit before completing details.

Meantime, eye witnesses said that the Israeli occupation forces re-opened Rafah border crossing to the south of Gaza and permitted the Palestinians to head for Egypt for the first time in weeks.

A statement by the Israeli occupation forces said that the decision to re-open the Rafah crossing came in the course of alleviating measures imposed on the move of the Palestinian citizens.

Previous Stories:
  Gul holds talks with Palestinian officials   (1/6/2005)
  Israeli incursion in Rafah   (1/6/2005)
  Turkey proposes mediation between Israel, the Palestinian Authority   (1/4/2005)

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