Syria has prepared a paper defining the boundaries of the occupied Golan Heights and was waiting for an Israeli reply through Turkish mediators, sources familiar with the talks were quoted as saying on Tuesday. According to Reuters, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad recently told Western officials that Damascus wants Israel to take a clear position on the territorial problem between the two countries.
The Syrian document sets the boundaries with reference to six geographical points, the sources told Reuters. "The president was clear that Syria wants to know the Israeli view about what constitutes occupied Syrian territory before progress could be made," one of the sources said.
"According to Syrian thinking, Israeli agreement on the six points could help seal a peace deal next year. But Israel may not be able to provide a response any time soon, when it is in such political turmoil," a second source said.
A Syrian official said that the document sent to Turkey includes reference to geographical points on the present north-eastern shore of the Tiberias Lake. "The document puts us on the water," the official said.
