Summit In Name Only

March 31, 2008
"The Damascus summit has succeeded in overcoming all sorts of pressures, starting from the statements of U.S. officials and their desire not to hold the summit, or their desire for non- participation."
--Syrian state-owned paper Al-Baath, March 28, 2008
  • "It's a sad fact that the fate of the Arab summit is already doomed to failure. The absence of key Arab leaders from this summit can only be interpreted as a political indictment of the host country over its policies, especially in Lebanon. It's a summit only in name."
    –Osama al-Sharif, editor in chief, Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, March 26, 2008



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    Setting the Record Straight

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    “The contours of the new Turkish foreign policy indicate a propensity to distance itself from the West and a quest for enhanced relations with Muslim countries, particularly those located along Turkey’s borders. One clear manifestation of this new policy is the current tensions between Turkey and Israel.”
    —Efraim Inbar, director, Begin-Sadat (BESA) Center for Strategic Studies, article, “Israeli-Turkish Tensions and Beyond,” Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, February 2010versus
  • “Turkey cannot afford to alienate Israel totally either. The ambitions of its foreign policy necessitate that it maintain good and credible relations with all the parties in the region. Neither should it lose its way in intra-Arab squabbles or render its foreign policy hostage to the, at times, delirious reactions of an excitable public. Just as Israel should not allow its current foreign minister’s world view and personality get in the way of safeguarding a critical strategic relation.”
    —Soli Özel, professor of international relations and political science, Istanbul Bilgi University, analysis, “Turkey-Israel Relations: Where to Next?” The German Marshal Fund of the United States, Turkey Series, March 3, 2010

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