Syrien

[Savas38]

Ankara Mediates between Israel and Syria


It has been revealed that Ankara has secured the return of Jewish pilot Eli Cohen's bones from Syria to Israel, which was one of Israel's pre-conditions for negotiations with Syria.

Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented a letter written by Mrs. Cohen, 80, to Syrian President Bessar Esad during his visit to Damascus last month. Esad reportedly determined that the return of Eli Cohen's bones was a humanitarian issue and could be achieved. His answer was reported to the Israeli authorities by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in talks yesterday in Jerusalem. Speaking after the meeting, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that if Damascus made a step about Cohen, relations could improve. Eli Cohen was an Egyptian-born Jew who worked for the Israeli intelligence agency MOSSAD as a spy in Syria between 1962 and 1965 under the assumed name Kemal Amin Taabet. Cohen was executed on the 18th of May 1965 in Damascus after Israel had used information supplied by Cohen to seize the Golan Heights.

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&a...6&hn=15350