2 states only solution in Mideast: Turkish diplomat

ANTALYA- Anadolu Agency

A two-state solution is the only wide-scale sustainable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a top Turkish diplomat said on April 14.

"I don't mean to say that [a two-state solution] now has very clear prospects in the region,” Ufuk Ulutaş, head at the Center for Strategic Research of Turkey's Foreign Ministry, told a NATO meeting in Antalya, in the Turkish Mediterranean. “But it still is one of our best options to find a durable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”       

Ulutaş laid out Turkey's position on Israel-Palestine conflict, as well as obstacles blocking peace between Israelis and Palestinians, at the three-day NATO meeting, which ended on April 14.

Lawmakers, military officers, and foreign mission chiefs from NATO member states are among participants at the 99th Rose-Roth Seminar, and the Mediterranean and the Middle East special group of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, hosted by Turkey's Parliament.       

“In every instance of peace-making, efforts to reach a wide and sustainable solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Turkey has either become a mediator, a facilitator, or supporter of the whole process,” said Ulutaş.       

 “We can call Turkey a strong proponent of peacemaking in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The whole process of peacemaking, at least the efforts, in the Arab-Israel conflict has been reflected very positively in the Israeli-Turkish relationship,” he added.       

Ulutaş said there are five obstacles to resolving conflicts between Israel and Palestine: the U.S. Mideast policy and especially on Palestine and Israel, the radicalization of Israel politics, regional divisions in the Mideast and their effects on Palestine's politics and economy, ongoing clashes in Palestine, and the lack of initiative among the international community.       

“U.S. unilateralism is one of the problems that we've had so far in the Arab-Israeli conflict,” he stressed, decrying U.S. President Donald Trump moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and his recognition of the occupied Golan Heights as Israeli territory.       

“With these steps, the U.S. chose to be a part of the problem instead of the solution,” he said.       

Ulutaş said the rise of far-right political parties led to the radicalization of Israel politics and gave them a bigger say in Israeli politics.