Syria says will help Turk PM on mediation with Israel

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syria will cooperate with Turkey in its mediation to relaunch peace talks between the Damascus government and Israel but the Jewish state has also to make an effort towards a deal, Syrian officials said Saturday.

President Bashar al Assad said after meeting Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in the Syrian capital that "Syria was ready to cooperate with Turkey in any effort that brings security and stability to the region".

"The meeting focused on ways to activate a just and comprehensive peace and the president praised Turkey for the efforts in this regard," the state news agency said.

Syrian officials said that the meeting focused on attempts by Turkey to help Syria and Israel relaunch negotiations that collapsed in 2000 over the scope of a proposed Israeli withdrawal from the Golan heights, a water-rich plateau overlooking Damascus.

Asked if the Turkish effort will succeed, one of the officials said: "There is another party to this equation," in reference to Israel.

The meeting between Erdogan and Assad was attended by Ahmet Davutoglu, Erdogan's influential chief foreign policy adviser, and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem.

Erdogan said Syria and Israel had asked Turkey for mediation work to be launched and that such efforts would start at a low level and move up the chain if successful.

"As Turkey, we will make whatever efforts we can on this issue. In this respect, there is a request from Syria and in the same way a request from Israel," he told a news conference upon returning to Turkey.