"Turkey singing a new tune
By Yoav Stern
Ankara, interested in improving relations between Israel and its neighbors, speaks of a `new atmosphere' in the region.
The question asked by Channel 2's analyst for Arab affairs, Ehud Ya'ari, brought a satisfied smile to the face of Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom at the joint press conference held last Tuesday in Jerusalem with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
Ya'ari asked the most interesting question at the press conference, which touched on the territorial conflict between Syria and Turkey. 'Can Syria's recognition last month of full Turkish sovereignty over the Hatay province be seen as a precedent for the case of the Golan Heights?' Ya'ari asked.
Everyone waited suspensefully for an answer from Gul, who immediately perceived a trap. He answered with diplomatic finesse, without batting an eyelid: 'The two cases are not similar, there is no territorial disagreement between Turkey and Syria, and in the second case, the United Nations determined that the territory is occupied.'"
More:Haaretz - Israel News - Turkey singing a new tune