Israel, Jerusalem / Trend corr. R.Mammadov / No one doubted that Israeli President Shimon Peres could not stay away from a meeting of Prime Minister Olmert with Arabian leaders in Annapolis, in spite of his neutral status. During his visit to Turkey, Peres invited the Turkish President Abdulla Gul to take part in the discussions, which focused on the problems of Middle Eastern countries. Namig Tan, the ambassador of Turkey to Israel, said that the discussions touched upon the peaceful resolution of the Palestine-Israeli conflict, Iranian nuclear threats and a possible peace agreement with Syria.
According to Israeli diplomatic resources, at the beginning of the meeting, Gul appealed to Peres to allow North Cyprus to open a diplomatic embassy in Tel Aviv. "We would be very glad if Israel allowed North Cyprus to have an embassy there, even on a legal level," the Turkish President said. The Turkish Prime Minister, Rajap Tayip Ardogan, joined the President and asked Israel to allow the establishment of a direct ferry line between Haifa and Famagusta, the main port of North Cyprus.
In response, Peres said that he must consult with the Ministries of Israel. Turkey is the one country which has an embassy in North Cyprus. North Cyprus has a range of representatives in some quarters, which could be considered embassies of sorts. Azerbaijan, Gambia and Paraguay have recognized the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus as a republic.
During the meeting, Peres asked Gul to borrow a stone which is kept in the National Museum, with a description of the tunnel constructed to provide security for Jerusalem on the eve of a siege by Assyrian troops, on the 60th anniversary of their independence. Gul thanked Peres for his attempts to prevent a ruling by the American Congress to recognize Armenian genocide.
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