Israel & Turkey: Repairing Relations, Leaving Gaza Behind?

On Friday, at the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen, Israeli President Shimon Peres met his Turkish counterpart, President Abdullah Gul. Following Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak's acceptance of an invitation to Ankara, Gul agreed to consider Peres' invitiation to come to Israel.

During the meeting, Peres tried to deal with the underlying causes of tense Israeli-Turkish relations. He did not defend the "necessity" of the Gaza War, but he blamed Hamas of dragging Gazans into trouble. Peres added:

Israel seeks real, just peace with its neighbors and has announced its willingness to go to great lengths to achieve peace.

Gaza could have turned into a prosperous area under Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas]. Unfortunately, Hamas murdered Fatah leaders in Gaza and is now gravely harming the Palestinian population. If Hamas changes course by recognizing Israel and denouncing terror, the face of Gaza will undergo an extreme change.

Israel & Turkey: Time to Repair Relations?