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Blair seeks Turkish help in Mideast peace drive |
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Written by Reuters
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Saturday, 16 December 2006 04:38 |
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UK Prime Minister Tony Blair launched a Middle East trip on Friday by holding talks with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on how to revive Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.
Blair, who has set great store on resuscitating the peace process before he resigns next year, wants to generate new momentum among Muslim countries to help get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
His trip coincided with tensions reaching their highest level in a decade in the Palestinian territories, triggering new gunbattles between rival factions and fuelling fears the Palestinians were on the verge of civil war.
"The important thing is that we don't just stand on the sidelines wringing our hands," Blair's spokesman told reporters before the meeting with Erdogan late on Friday.
Blair and Erdogan are due to hold a news conference on Saturday.
"This is about getting momentum, stepping up a gear," said the spokesman, describing Erdogan as an influential player in the region who had strong contacts with leaders who mattered.
Erdogan recently visited Iran and Syria, accused by the West of destabilising the Middle East.
Blair sees Turkey as a moderate Muslim ally and stresses support for its bid to join the European Union after the bloc decided this week to partially freeze accession talks because of Ankara's failure to normalise trade with EU member Cyprus.
"Turkey has under Erdogan taken a more active step in getting involved in regional politics. Turkey wants stable neighbours," said an Ankara-based EU diplomat, who asked not to be identified.
Blair believes a Middle East settlement and engagement by countries in the region are critical to defusing the violence in Iraq -- an issue that looks set to dominate the legacy of his 10-year premiership.
He wants to be able to tell the Palestinians what they can expect in terms of financial and political support if they agree to form a government that Israel can negotiate with.
Talks on forming a unity government are deadlocked between moderate President Mahmoud Abbas and a Hamas-led administration that the West has boycotted, cutting off aid to the Palestinians, because of its refusal to recognise Israel.
Some Middle East analysts said Blair's clout had been diminished by the Iraq war, his refusal to urge an immediate Israeli cease-fire in the war against Hezbollah, and his planned imminent departure from office.
Arab leaders feel the United States calls the shots in international policy making towards the Middle East.
"I don't see (Blair) as having sufficient leverage to make a significant difference," said Rosemary Hollis of think-tank Chatham House.
Officials described Blair's Middle East tour as "comprehensive" but kept advance details of his itinerary secret for security reasons. |