(Communicated by the Deputy Foreign Minister’s Bureau)
At a panel discussion on the subject of Turkey that took place at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said that negotiations with Syria, mediated by Turkey, failed because of Syria, not because of Turkey or Israel. Syria was not interested in peace; it was mocking everyone, using negotiations as a means of getting itself out of global isolation.
Looking back, Ayalon continued, it could be said that the Turkish mediation was a mistake, because it influenced the bilateral relations between the two states. Bilateral and multilateral relations should be kept separate, the deputy minister said. Today, before any negotiations begin, Syria bears the burden of proof – it must prove it desires peace and not war.
The deputy minister added that Israel’s relations with Turkey will continue to be good because that is in the interest of both sides.