Peres and Gul in New York
Photo: Moshe Milner
Turkish president says Syria serious about peace talks
President Peres meets with Turkish counterpart in New York, tells him 'Israel is unwilling to cede territories and get missile fire in return.' Gul says, 'As the negotiations progress, the doubts on the Israeli side will grow smaller'
President Shimon Peres
met Tuesday night with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, in New York. One of the issues the two discussed was the unofficial peace talks
between Israel
and Syria.
Gul told Peres that "Syria is serious about striking a peace deal with Israel, and as the negotiations progress the doubts on the Israeli side will grow smaller."
Peres said during the meeting, "Israel will not be willing to take painful steps and cede territories, and get missile fire in return."
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The Turkish president added that his country "believes and hopes that immediately after a government is formed in Israel, both sides will return to the negotiations table."
Peres, on his part, reiterated that "the Israeli public wants to see with its own eyes that Syria has changed."
The Israeli president, who was expected to speak at the United Nations General Assembly later Wednesday, addressed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Tuesday speech, which included a harsh attack on Israel.
"This is the first time in the UN's history that any leader must deal with the accusations which appeared in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion," Peres said.
He told reporters in New York that Ahmadinejad views himself as a history expert, but that the history he presents is false.
"He arrogantly criticizes a great democracy like the United States, which has helped so many countries. These are shameful accusations, and any attempt to pretend to be a preacher and prophet and to preach hatred is extremely troubling and depressing," Peres said.
