Mideast - AFP
Turkey to boost ties with Palestinians, defends water deal with Israel
Date: Tue, May 25, 2004
ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey said it was preparing to boost cooperation with the Palestinians, and criticized Israel, its main regional ally, over increasing violence in the Middle East.
The Ankara government, however, defended economic cooperation with the Jewish state, particularly planned water exports, as it hosted Israel's infrastructure minister.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told parliament that Turkey was planning to increase economic, social and cultural cooperation with the Palestinians and that it had appointed a special representative to oversee such efforts.
He said a detailed statement on the issue would be made later.
Gul lashed out at Israel for its bloody operations in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites), which claimed many civilian lives, and condemned also Palestinian violence.
"We are worried that if these (incidents) continue, the situation will go out of control and pave the way for a climate with unpredictable consequences," he said during a parliamentary debate on developments in the Middle East and Iraq (news - web sites).
Last week, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Israel's military operations as "state terror" and Gul warned that bilateral ties would suffer.
Turkey, a mainly Muslim but strictly secular non-Arab nation, has been Israel's chief ally in the turbulent Middle East since 1996 when the two nations signed a military cooperation accord, much to the anger of Arab nations and Iran.
As Turkish legislators blasted Israel in parliament, visiting Israeli Infrastructure Minister Joseph Paritzky sought to show that bilateral relations, at least in the economic field, are on track.
Paritzky and Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler witnessed the signing of a multi-billion-dollar deal between Turkish conglomerate Zorlu Holding and Dorad Energies of Israel for the construction of a power station in Israel.
They also discussed planned Turkish exports of water to Israel, the inauguration of which is awaiting Israel's decision on how the water will be transported.
Guler defended the deal as a contribution to reconciliation in the Middle East.
"We see these efforts as an instrument for bringing stability and peace in the region," he told reporters, according to Anatolia news agency.
Back in parliament, the government came under fire from the opposition for failing to put enough pressure on Israel to abandon its heavy-handed policies against the Palestinians.
"Children are being killed. Our reaction should not have been that feeble," opposition deputy Onur Oymen said.
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