- Title: TURKEY: ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK ARRIVES IN TURKEY
- Date: 28th August 2000
- Summary: ANKARA TURKEY (AUGUST 28 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV TURKISH PRIME MINISTER BULENT ECEVIT WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD BARAK AT OFFICIAL WELCOME 0.06 2. MV ISRAELI AND TURKISH FLAGS 0.10 3. SLV BARAK INSPECTS MILITARY GUARD 0.24 4. CA/WS CAMERAMAN/ PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM (2 SHOTS) 0.33 5. SV SOUNBITE (English) TURKISH PRI
- Embargoed: 12th September 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ANKARA, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Reuters ID: LVAC0PRNVGUZ7V5ZJYYURG9FT1CC
- Story Text: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak arrived on a visit to
close military ally Turkey on Monday(August 28) for short
talks with his Turkish counterpart Bulent Ecevit on the Middle
East peace process and defence co-operation.
Barak was met at the airport by Defence Minister
Sabahattin Cakmakoglu.
After the ceremony at the airport, Barak went to the
Turkish prime minister's office for the offical welcome
ceremony and a meeting with his counterpart, Bulent Ecevit.
Barak's one-day visit to Moslem Turkey comes after European
tours by senior Israeli figures designed to win support for
their position in peace talks with the Palestinians.
Ankara maintains close relations with both Israel and the
Palestinians. Turkey's foreign minister recently visited
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
Turkey and Israel cooperate in military training, and
Israeli firms have upgraded Turkish fighter jets.
Turkey is also negotiating with Israel to sell fresh water
from its southern rivers in a possible pioneering deal.
Barak is expected to meet President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
later in the visit.
Diplomats said defence industry co-operation would be high
on the agenda of what is Barak's third visit to Turkey since
he took office as prime minister last year.
The Middle East peace talks have been dogged by disputes
over, among other things, the status of Jerusalem, which
Israel regards as its united and undivided capital.
Palestinians want the eastern sector as the capital of a
Palestinian state which they may declare, with or without
Israeli agreement, as early as September 13.
Israel held up its relationship with Moslem Turkey on Monday
(August 28) as a model for co-operation in the region,
proposing increased commerce and trade in defence and water.
Prime Minister Ehud Barak said after talks with Turkish
counterpart Bulent Ecevit a delegation would visit soon to
investigate further the possibility of buying water supplied
by Turkey's Manavgat river.
Neither made any specific reference to contracts for the
upgrading of U.S. M60 main battle tanks or for the sale of
Israeli military intelligence satellites to Turkey.
Israel has been hoping to win these deals but the outcome
seems uncertain.
Israeli deputy defence minister Ephraim Sneh had told
journalists the contracts would be high on the agenda of
talks, alongside a 4 billion(USD) Turkish attack helicopter
tender.
Turkey looks likely to choose a U.S. firm but has kept a
rival Russian-Israeli consortium on the shortlist for the
bidding, should Congress refuse export and technology transfer
licences.
pj/tw
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