Region | Syria
Syria's Assad confirms Israeli peace offer
Syrian President Bashar Assad has confirmed Turkish mediation between Syria and Israel in comments published on Thursday.
- Agencies
- Published: 17:14 April 24, 2008
Beirut: Syrian President Bashar Assad has confirmed Turkish mediation between Syria and Israel in comments published on Thursday.
Damascus has said Turkish mediation has led to an Israeli offer to swap its Golan Heights for a peace treaty with Syria.
Assad told Al Qatan that there would be no secret talks with Israel and that preliminary stages of talks would be held with Turkey as a go-between.
"Maybe with the coming administration in the United States we can talk about direct negotiations," Assad said, adding that the United States was the only party qualified.
Israel, which captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war, has declined to comment on the reported offer to return the Golan in return for peace with Syria.
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