CAIRO: Ankara is ready to mediate between foes Israel and Syria provided there is a political will on both sides, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in Cairo on Tuesday.
If there is a political will on both sides, then we are ready for indirect Turkish mediation between Syria and Israel, he said.
Davutoglu was speaking at a news conference with his Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
The last round of Turkish-mediated indirect peace talks collapsed in 2008 when Israel launched a devastating military offensive in Gaza.
Bilateral ties took a dip following frequent Turkish outbursts over the war and Israel s persisting blockade of the impoverished Palestinian enclave.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in December dismissed indirect talks with Syria through Turkish mediation.
He said he wanted direct talks, once in Damascus and once in Jerusalem.
Davutoglu, who also met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday, said that during his visit he had discussed the excellent relations between Cairo and Ankara as well as developments in the Middle East. -AFP
