Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 7 /Trend, U.Sadikhova/
Turkey's foreign policy "zero problems with neighbors" appeared more successful and fruitful in the development of relations between Ankara and Middle Eastern countries, especially Syria, said Turkish analyst Mitat Chelikpasha.
"Yet the Turkish policy has achieved success with Syria, but this process has not finished, it will take time," Chelikpasha, dean of the faculty of international relations at the University of Kadir Has, told Trend.
According to him, Turkish foreign policy achieved considerable success in Iraq, but the future of Turkish-Iraqi relations is unknown because of political instability, given that six months after the elections, a government has not yet been formed in Iraq.
Speaking about relations between Turkey and Israel, which have deteriorated considerably over recent years, Chelikpasha believes that in future it could create a problem for Ankara in the next steps in the Middle East.
"For this, it needs to reconsider either the Israeli or the Turkish politics. There is no understanding between the two governments," Chelikpasha believes.
The relations between the two military and strategic allies have sharply deteriorated after the naval forces of Israel have detained six ships "Freedom of Flotilla" in the end of May, which carried humanitarian aid to Gaza, blockaded by Israeli forces. As a result of boarding by Israeli navy, nine activists of the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara were killed.
Turkey has demanded the Israeli leadership to apologize for the attack on the humanitarian ship and pay compensation to families of those killed, but Israel has categorically refused.
To investigate the incident, the UN has established an independent commission chaired by former Prime Minister of New Zealand Geoffrey Palmer. In parallel, Israel has launched a commission under the patronage of former Judge James Turkel.
While Turkey has focused on expanding cooperation with Arab countries, however, according to the analyst, the Turkish role in the Middle East should not be restricted with this.
Chelikpasha believes that the Israeli leadership needs to reconsider its policy in the region, because in this way the regional issues remain unresolved.
Two years ago, Ankara acted as an international mediator in indirect talks between Israel and Syria, which stopped in December 2008 after the Israeli army launched large-scale military operations in Gaza.
In an interview with Turkish television on Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad mentioned Damascus's readiness to resume negotiations with Israel under Turkish mediation. At the same time, Syria demands guarantees of full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights occupied in 1967. In its turn, Israel insists on negotiations without preconditions, but says if Syria wants peace, it must distance itself from Iran and stop supporting the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.
In its turn, in Ankara confirms the desire to continue the mission of mediator.