No Turkish mediation between Israel, Syria: FM

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday declared that Turkey had no place in mediating peace talks between Israel and Syria, despite "hints" to the contrary made by his government colleagues.

Lieberman lambasted Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Labor chairman and high-ranking ministers, who accused of "proposing and hinting that there is place for Turkish mediation."

"Stop creating illusions and disseminating things that have no connection to reality," Lieberman warned.

"So long as I am foreign minister and Yisrael Beiteinu is in the government, there will be no Turkish mediation," Lieberman vowed. "The Syrians want to talk? Then direct negotiations, only," he went on to claim.

Tensions flared between the two countries in September after Turkey banned Israel from participating in a NATO air force drill. Ankara further strained relations last week when it refused to take off the air a television drama depicts Israeli soldiers killing Palestinian children.

Lieberman continued to say that by the beginning of 2010, there will be no "secret diplomacy" and that "whoever wants to meet with us can do so without a veil of secrecy. We're not outcasts… everything will be done in a transparent manner."