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3 Responses to “A Lesson from Turkey: Raise Your Profile in International Negotiations”

  1. Barea /

    Thank you Keith for sharing this theoretical opinion with us. I strongly agree with the author that a mediator should be impartial. I have few points I would like to add to this article: 1- Just like we, as mediators, have our limitations as to the confidentiality of the mediation process, so does Turkey when it sees violations of human rights. What applies in community mediation also apply to state mediation. Turkey's termination of the mediation was in line with every mediation rule in a textbook. 2- Turkey indeed was not an equidistant mediator from both parties in the past. Turkey has long been Israel military partner without ties to Palestinians. We cannot forget that there was a time Palestinians allied themselves to Hezbollah in order to gain legitimacy and power. When Turkey repositioned itself equidistant from both parties, Israel viewed Turkey's strategy as unfair. 3- Turkey had no appetite to enter the mediation. It is too far fetched to say it was alienated. As a result, Israel was left with the only unfortunate option to deal with the brotherhood of Egypt whose agenda is clearly anti-Israeli. We all heard the brotherhood views about Israel lately in the news. 4- Turkey is a secular state with a majority of Muslims. Turkey is not Arab. Turkey is very well suited to play a mediation role between Arab states and Israel. It is unfortunate we cannot go to the core of our interest and we prefer to remain attached to our positions. Barea Reply

  2. Ajayi Joseph omolayo /

    Your programs are of invaluable assistant to me in my Masters Program in Peace and Strategic Studies @ the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. Please keep it up. Reply

  3. Ted Skandy /

    First, let me say thank you for this thoughtful article. I am not however certain on what Turkey (or for that matter, any country) stands to gain as being viewed as the 'Mediator'? Reply

Reply to Barea