Delay Gaza Talks, Kerry Urges Turkish PM Erdogan
AFP April 22, 2013 10:18AM
Increase Text Size
Decrease Text Size
Print
US Secretary of State John Kerry has called on Turkey's prime minister to delay a visit to Gaza in talks aimed at putting Israeli-Turkish relations back on track as part of efforts to revive the Middle East peace process.
"We have expressed to the prime minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) that it would be better to delay," Mr Kerry told reporters in Istanbul, urging him to wait for the "right conditions".
Mr Erdogan announced last week that he was planning to visit the impoverished Palestinian territory at the end of next month after a key trip to Washington on May 16.
Mr Erdogan said his visit would be aimed at pushing for the lifting of Israel's embargo on the Gaza Strip but Washington fears such a trip could hurt a fresh US-brokered rapprochement between the former allies after a three-year rift.
MORE...
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/middle-east-in-turmoil/delay-gaza-talks-kerry-urges-turkish-pm-erdogan/story-fn7ycml4-1226625704426
My hope is the Erdogan tells Kerry to 'kiss his Turkish ass'...