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Kerry Presses Turks on Rapprochement with Israel
(AP-Washington Post) U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Turkey to speed up and cement an American-brokered rapprochement with Israel, during a visit to Istanbul. Kerry said he had a "prolonged and constructive" discussion with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu about "the importance of completing the task with respect to the renewal of relations between Turkey and Israel." U.S. officials are keen to see substantive process by the time Erdogan comes to Washington on May 16. Kerry also said he had made it clear to the Turks that a planned trip to Hamas-controlled Gaza by Prime Minister Erdogan after his visit to the White House "would be better delayed and that it shouldn't take place at this point in time." Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority oppose the Gaza visit. Kerry said he understood the anger and frustration of those Turks who lost friends and family in the 2010 Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla. He said last week's Boston Marathon bombings made him acutely aware of the emotions involved.