SYRIA: President Bashar al-Assad says peace process is dying, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan in Damascus

Record ID: 278973

  • Title: SYRIA: President Bashar al-Assad says peace process is dying, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan in Damascus
  • Date: 24th December 2009
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (DECEMBER 23, 2009) (REUTERS) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYIP ERDOGAN ARRIVING WITH HIS SYRIAN COUNTERPART NAJI AL-OTRI ERDOGAN AND OTRI VARIOUS OF ERDOGAN AND OTRI REVIEWING SYRIAN HONOUR GUARD
  • Embargoed: 8th January 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVACGY355FEMS2XV4185L1H7E216
  • Story Text: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday (December 23) that the peace process in the Middle East "is dying".
    "It appears to me that it (peace process) is dying and unfortunately this process needs care not only where it fails but it may need more care when it succeeds or starts. That's why we always see some fluctuation in this process between raising not very high and falling rapidly," he said during a news conference held with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan in Damascus.
    Erdogan announced that Syria is committed to the Turkish mediation and refuses the French mediation.
    "We thank my brother President Assad so much for his pronouncements and that the point that he does not see that it is convenient for Sarkozy to be the mediator. And that's why the road continues although I do not know where it will reach. But if the mission was given to Turkey, we would be ready (to mediate)," he said.
    Syria and Israel have held five rounds of indirect peace talks mediated by Turkey but Syria decided to suspend them because of the Israeli war on Gaza in December 2008.
    Erdogan arrived in Syria on Tuesday (December 22) heading a delegation of 500 Turkish businessmen that signed more than 50 agreements with Syria many areas including economic, cultural and hydration.
    The Syrian-Turkish relationship has flourished in recent years. They recently decided to mutually cancel visa requirements for visitors from each others country.
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