US Mideast envoy Mitchell postpones visit to Turkey

[bemildred]

Source: ZAMAN

The new US envoy for the Middle East, George Mitchell, has postponed a trip to Turkey that was scheduled to take place on Sunday as part of a regional tour aimed at shoring up the Gaza cease-fire and promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace, Turkish and US officials announced yesterday.

Mitchell, a former US senator and a mediator who helped to resolve the Northern Ireland conflict, was named by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week to lead US efforts to end the six-decade-long Arab-Israeli conflict.

Mitchell's tour, including visits to Egypt, Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to run through Feb. 3 and is aimed at consolidating the cease-fire that ended Israel's 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip and to "reinvigorate the peace process."

Mitchell was expected to arrive in İstanbul on Sunday, where he was scheduled to have talks with both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan -- who were also originally supposed to return on Sunday from Davos, Switzerland, where they participated in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Read more: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=165576&bolum=100

[Turborama]

1. "technical reasons and scheduling conflicts" = total and utter BULLSHIT!!

The rest of the article...

US Embassy officials in Ankara cited technical reasons and scheduling conflicts as the reason behind the postponement of Mitchell's visit, with embassy spokesperson Kathryn Schalow being quoted by the Anatolia news agency as saying, "The way the schedule was, very tight, we have tried very hard to make a trip to Turkey fit in, and it just could not for technical reasons."

Some Turkish news outlets yesterday highlighted the "interesting timing" of the postponement, in apparent reference to the fact that the announcement by the US side came just hours after Erdoğan walked out of a panel discussion in Davos on Thursday evening after reprimanding Israeli President Shimon Peres over the Gaza offensive.

Turkish diplomatic sources, approached by Today's Zaman, however, ruled out any speculation, saying that the Turkish and US sides had jointly decided to postpone the visit as Mitchell's schedule was rather tight.

Neither Turkish nor US officials were able to comment on a possible date for a visit by Mitchell to Turkey.

In Davos on Thursday, Erdoğan said US President Barack Obama should redefine terror and terrorism in the Middle East and use it as the basis for new American policy.

"In fact, I expect Obama to be the voice of all those silent and destitute masses," he said, apparently referring to the US position toward Hamas

[Frank Booth]

2. That's troubling, because if anyone deserves to be reprimanded, it's

Shimon Peres.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. good grief

:tinfoilhat: and :eyes:

"saying that the Turkish and US sides had jointly decided to postpone the visit as Mitchell's schedule was rather tight."

[Turborama]

5. "Mitchell was expected to arrive in Instanbul on Sunday"

Does anyone know what he's doing on Sunday, this will explain what the "scheduling conflicts" are.

"Turkish diplomatic sources" = vague and unverifiable.

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Do you know?

It appears you don't. However, unlike you, I am willing to wait and see. You, and those like you, seem to already know the answer. Predictable and disgusting.

""Turkish diplomatic sources" = vague and unverifiable." :rofl:

[No Elephants]

4. I wonder if his Lebanese ancestry helps or

hurts? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_J._Mitchell

[Dover]

6. Posturing...

Israel/US better play nice with Turkey, seeing how there's a big pipeline deal in the works.
Israel needs their water, and their position as an important terminal for oil/gas.
Wouldn't want for them to turn to Iran or elsewhere...


From the end of November >


India, Turkey and Israel to discuss pipeline

Plan comes after long-planned pipeline that would have linked India to Iran via Pakistan fails to materialize

Associated Press Published: 11.25.08, 08:50 / Israel Money

A plan to pipe oil and gas from Turkey to Israel and then ship it to India will be discussed when officials from the three countries meet soon, media reports said Tuesday.

The proposal would allow India easier access to energy supplies from Central Asia and the Caspian region, the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying.

Erdogan was speaking Monday during a meeting with business leaders in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.

The proposed route comes after a long-planned pipeline that would have linked India to Iran through Pakistan failed to materialize, held up by disagreements over costs, Indian fears about the pipeline's security, and strong US opposition.

Turkey has positioned itself as a regional energy hub for routes bypassing Iran...cont'd

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3628160,00.html

[dcindian]

7. Just terrible news.

A chance to open new doors. But by punishing the turkey government right now for a few harsh and well deserved words against a terrorist nation is just irresponsible.

[bemildred]

8. I think they just wanted to avoid the media circus.

Mitchell is going back after the Israeli election, they will meet then.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Terrible news, doused with predictable bullshit propaganda.

[slipslidingaway]

9. k n/t