Category: Israel

Turkey Says Israel’s Flotilla Raid Was ‘Cause For War’

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey’s prime minister said Monday that Israel’s raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last year was “cause for war” but added that his country showed “patience” and refrained from taking any action.

September 8: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan walks before a ceremony outside his office in Ankara, Turkey. Erdogan said on the eve of a visit to Egypt that Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last year was "cause for war" but that his country had shown "patience" and refrained from taking any action. Read more:

Erdogan made the comments before departing for a visit to Egypt later on Monday, where he will seek to boost his government’s already high standing in the Arab world — a position he has achieved in part by challenging Israel on the world stage.

Erdogan, intent on broadening Turkey’s influence in the Middle East and the Arab world, will also visit Tunisia and Libya, two other countries where popular uprisings have ousted autocratic leaders.

Erdogan told Al-Jazeera television in a recent interview that the Israeli raid, which killed eight Turks and a Turkish American on board a Turkish ship trying to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, occurred in international waters and was “unlawful.” His comments were carried by Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency late Sunday.

“It is a cause for war, but we decided to act in line with Turkey’s grandeur and showed patience,” Erdogan said.

An Israeli government spokesman was not immediately available for comment, but Israel insists its naval commandos acted in self-defense after being attacked by some of the activists.

Israel has expressed regret for the loss of lives aboard the flotilla and said Tuesday it was time for the two countries to restore their former close ties.

An Israeli Cabinet minister, Gilad Erdan, insisted that the deterioration of relations with Turkey was not Israel’s fault.

“With Turkey, we had a very close relationship in the past, and we still hope that we can improve the relationship with Turkey, but it wasn’t our decision to deteriorate the relationship,” Erdan said in Jerusalem, adding that Israel was prepared to “pay money to the families” of the victims.

A U.N. report into the raid, released earlier this month, said Israel’s naval blockade was legitimate but accused Israel of using “excessive and unreasonable” force in the raid.

Turkey has been angered over Israel’s refusal to apologize for the raid.

In response, Turkey this month suspended its military ties with Israel, expelled top Israeli diplomats, pledged to campaign in support of the Palestinians’ statehood bid and vowed to send the Turkish navy to escort Gaza-bound aid ships in the future.

Israel insists there is no need for aid to Gaza since it eased restrictions on imports through land crossings, labeling the flotillas political provocations.

Erdogan’s visit to Egypt coincides with increasingly troubled ties between Cairo and Israel following an attack on the Israeli embassy there. Israel fears that it is being left increasingly isolated by the Arab Spring, which is changing the power dynamics in the region, alongside tense relations former ally Turkey.

Erdogan “will try to impress (the Arab) public opinion by giving messages clearly emphasizing Turkey’s rift with Israel,” said Mustafa Turkes of the Middle East Technical University’s International Relations Department.

Kamer Kasim of the Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization said: “The Israeli-Egyptian relations are undergoing change. Israel cannot afford tensions with both Turkey and Egypt. It will have to review its security policies in the Middle East.”

Erdan said “it is very, very important” for Israel and for the Egyptians to preserve their peace treaty.

“We hope those radical movements that controlled the protests that we saw last weekend do not represent the 85 million Egyptians in Egypt,” Erdan said.

A statement from Erdogan’s office said Turkey would emphasize its support to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya in their transition to democracy.

In Egypt, Erdogan will oversee the signing of an agreement to establish a joint council to lead efforts toward a closer “strategic partnership,” as well as deals to encourage cooperation, investments and trade, a statement from the Turkish prime minister’s office said.

“Our hope now is that the Arab Spring does not turn into a harsh winter,” Erdogan told Al-Jazeera, according to Anatolia. “These countries are trying to transform into democratic system from autocratic systems. We have to lend them a helping hand in their efforts.”

Erdogan had hoped to be able to cross into Gaza from Egypt, but government officials said Sunday his scheduled would be limited to the three countries.

“Right now, there is no question of my visiting Gaza,” Erdogan told a news conference before flying to Cairo on Monday night. “But I would like to clearly say that I am longing to visit Gaza. I am longing to visit to Gaza as soon as possible.” He did not elaborate.

“I know that my brothers in Gaza are waiting for me. I too long for Gaza,” Erdogan told Al-Jazeera. “Sooner or later, if God allows it, I will go to Gaza.

Erdogan travels to Tunisia on Wednesday and to Libya on Thursday.

Turkey is also eager to resume investments in Libya, where Turkish contractors were involved in 214 building projects worth more than $15 billion before the rebellion that ousted strongman Muammar Qaddafi. Bilateral trade with Libya was $2.4 billion in Turkey’s favor before the uprising.

via Turkey Says Israel’s Flotilla Raid Was ‘Cause For War’ | Fox News.

September 14, 2011
Turkey: F-16s can now hit Israel targets

Turkish fighter jets

Turkey has developed a new system for its US-made F-16 fighter jets that will allow them for the first time to fire at Israeli targets, a report says.

The new Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) — an identification system designed for command and control — developed by Turkey’s Military Electronics Industry (ASELSAN) will replace the US version of the system that was being run on the fighter jets so far, Turkey’s Star Gazete newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The US system identified all Israeli targets as a ‘friend,’ thus preventing the Turkish fighter jets from firing at them automatically, even if the Turkish pilots were ordered to fire at them, the report said.

The new system, however, will allow Turkey to define its enemies itself, the report said.

The Turkish IFF will be mounted on all Turkish fighter jets, military vessels and submarines in the near future.

The report noted that the new IFF system has been developed in a time of increasing tension between Ankara and Tel Aviv.

The US-made IFF, categorized all Israeli targets, alongside NATO targets, as ‘friend,’ despite the fact that Israel is not a member state of NATO.

http://www.presstv.ir, Sep 13, 2011

September 14, 2011
Shas rabbi: God has no respect for Turkey

Shas rabbi: God has no respect for Turkey

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef dismisses diplomatic crisis between Ankara and Jerusalem, expresses his hope that God ‘will defeat all of Israel’s enemies’

Kobi Nahshoni

Published: 09.11.11, 14:29 / Israel Jewish Scene

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef gives Turkey a “blessing”: In his weekly sermon Saturday night, Shas’ spiritual leader dismissed the escalating crisis between Ankara and Jerusalem and expressed his hope that the fate of “Israel’s enemies” will be similar to that of their predecessors throughout history.

The rabbi concluded the sermon, which dealt with the “Ki Teitzei” Torah portion and matters relating to Elul – the month of mercy and Selichot, with the following statement: “Turkey, Burkey, God Almighty couldn’t care less about them.

“It’s all nonsense. If God lays his hands on them for one moment – they’ll be made miserable in a minute. We believe in the salvation of God Almighty. We have God Almighty and we are his sons. The one who defeated Pharaoh, Egypt and Haman – will defeat all of Israel’s enemies.”

Every Saturday evening, Rabbi Yosef discusses halachic issues and the weekly Torah portion, often addressing current events as well – mostly without political correctness considerations.

Two of the rabbi’s statements have sparked a lot of anger, and even diplomatic tensions. Last Year, ahead of Rosh Hashana, Yosef wished death on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his people, who he called “evil enemies of Israel.”

The rabbi mentioned the blessing said at the Jewish New Year feast that states, “May our enemies and adversaries be destroyed,” and applied it to the current situation. “Abu Mazen (Abbas) and all those evil men – may they perish from this world. May God Almighty strike them and these Palestinians.”

In December, Yosef implied that the fire raging on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, which left dozens of wardens and firefighters dead, was a punishment from God for religious offenses committed by the area’s residents.

The rabbi read a section from the Babylonian Talmud, which states that “the fire only exists in a place where Shabbat is desecrated.” He recommended that people “study Torah, engage in good deeds, repent, observe Shabbat, and know the entire Halacha, and thanks to this God will apply a full recovery.”

via Shas rabbi: God has no respect for Turkey – Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews.

September 13, 2011
Israel and Turkey: How a Close Relationship Disintegrated

Israel and Turkey: How a Close Relationship Disintegrated

Posted by Karl Vick Monday, September 12, 2011 at 1:08 pm

37 Comments • Related Topics: arab uprisings, Egypt, israel, Palestinian, Turkey

Pro-Islamic Turks stage a protest to show their solidarity with Palestinians and to protest against Israel on the "Jerusalem Day" outside the Israeli embassy residence in Ankara on August 26, 2011. (Photo: Adem Altan / AFP / Getty Images)

Many are the challenges facing Israel on the cusp of a new season.

The Palestinians’ approach to the United Nations for statehood looms. The bid, set for Sept. 21, bears down on Jerusalem with the certainty of an autumn chill.

The weekend desecration of the Israeli embassy by a Cairean mob was one of those shocks that is not quite a surprise, given the longstanding antipathy of the Egyptian public toward the Jewish State. More telling was the response of the Egypt’s military rulers, who according to Israeli officials went missing during the hours that mobs laid siege as Israeli guards awaited rescue from Egyptian commandos who didn’t show up til 4 a.m. How fraught are relations between Egypt and Israel? On Sunday, an Israeli army vehicle patrolling near the site of the Aug. 18 terror attack near the resort city of Eilat took fire from the Egyptian side of the border. The Israelis did not return fire. Who knew who was shooting at them?

And yet, the trash talk with Turkey qualifies in many ways as the great crisis of the moment. It’s not just that Turkey’s Prime Minister was threatening to send warships to confront the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, calling the 2010 deaths of eight Turks at the hands of Israeli commandos “a casus belli,” or act of war. Nor is it reports that, in response, Israel’s reliably bellicose Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, mulled aloud about reaching out to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK — regarded by the U.S. as a terrorist organization — just to mess with the Turks.

It’s that, not five years ago, these two countries were not merely allies, but strategic allies, the kind a nation forms a foreign policy around.

“Israel-Turkey relations were great up to three or four years ago,” recalls Dan Haloutz, a former chief of staff for the Israel Defense Forces. “When I was a commander, I used to fly to Turkey on every military training we had with the Turkish air force, and we had a lot — a lot.”

The ties were snug, and at least appeared essential. Israel hasn’t a lot of air space, and so was grateful for access to the wide open skies over Anatolia for fighter pilots to log flight hours. In return Turkey bought Israeli tanks, and still relies heavily on Israel’s remote controlled drones to track and attack the very PKK rebels the foreign minister reportedly was looking to cultivate. Away from government, commerce runs at least $3 billion a year between the countries.

And though 99 percent of Turks are Muslims, Jews have been long welcome in Istanbul, not least since the Spanish Inquisition, when the Ottoman sultan gave refuge to those offered the choice of conversion to Christianity, death or expulsion. Some still speak Ladino, or “Jewish Spanish.” Even after 9/11 Israelis felt safe enough in Turkey to flock to its Mediterranean discount resorts; the departures board at Ben Gurion Airport on a summer day lists charter flight after charter flight to Antalya.

That abruptly changed on Memorial Day, 2010, when Israel’s version of the SEALs boarded the Mavi Marmara. The converted ferry was en route to supply the besieged residents of Gaza, an act that ostensibly violated Israeli sovereignty. These were the people about whom Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had angrily lectured Israel’s head of state at Davos a year earlier, in the wake of the three-week Israeli military incursion that left 1,400 Palestinians dead.

After the flotilla fiasco, charters to Turkey were cancelled overnight, and Israel began steering its tourists toward Greece. But things really did appear to be on the mend this summer. In June, Turkey joined Greece in preventing the makings of a new flotilla from leaving their ports to challenge the Gaza blockade anew. Behind the scenes, Israel dispatched diplomats to hammer out language that would salve the wounds to Turkey’s quite extraordinary national pride and finally put the 2010 deaths behind both countries, who said they wanted to be friends again. “Turkey welcomes you,” said the resort ads that began appearing in Israel. In smaller print: “As always.”

The negotiations, however, ended not in language acceptable to both sides but in the release of a United Nations report on the flotilla that found fault with both sides but simply outraged Turkey. Israel’s ambassador to Ankara was formally expelled to Jerusalem. He was joined the following week by Israel’s ambassador to Egypt, who merely fled. And on Monday, Erdogan arrived with great fanfare in Cairo.

The days are growing shorter.

via Israel and Turkey: How a Close Relationship Disintegrated – Global Spin – TIME.com.

September 13, 2011
Turkey Under Fire For Hosting NATO Radar Protecting… Israel?

Turkey’s collapsing relations with Israel over the past week or so have occasioned a new round of hand-wringing about whether the West is losing Turkey. But that drama has overshadowed another, countervailing, development: Turkey’s agreement to host a NATO air defense radar. This has recently been one of the most sensitive Turkey-NATO issues; NATO wanted Turkey to host the system, but Turkey didn’t want it to explicitly target Iran, even though it is obvious to everyone that that’s the threat the system is intended to protect against.

But for whatever reason, the Turkish government has changed its mind, agreeing to host the radar and even (in a somewhat between-the-lines fashion) acknowledging that it has to do with Iran:

“We are of the opinion that the step taken [in deploying the radar system] is important for our region. That’s why we, as the government, have decided [to station the system in Turkey] after broad consultations,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said late Tuesday.

That has bolstered Turkey’s relationship with NATO, argues Lale Kemal in Today’s Zaman:

Turkey’s decision to host on its soil the radar component of a US-sponsored missile shield project should be seen as a political decision reaffirming Ankara’s ties with NATO. This decision comes at a time when the alliance has begun to perceive Turkish foreign policy goals as a deviating from those of the Western club. One Western official commented on the Turkish decision to host the missile defense radar saying, “Turkey is back in the club.”

And of course, the move has annoyed Iran and (to a lesser degree) in Russia. And Turkey’s opposition also has taken the opportunity to criticize the government — ironically, given everything else that’s going on, for taking Israel’s security more seriously than its own. From another Today’s Zaman article:

“We don’t believe it appropriate for Turkey to take such a step without any questioning. This system is directly designed as a shield against missile systems targeting Israel. Taking this step without informing the public sufficiently shows that Turkey’s foreign policy is now not centered in Ankara but instead that the government is assuming a foreign policy based on international interests. If a threat really stems from Iran, the government should clearly explain the extent of this threat. The government’s decision will make Turkey a target for missiles. We are convinced that the government’s move is related to Washington’s interests rather than Turkey’s security and that this step is being taken in line with Israeli demands,” [MHP parliamentary group deputy chairman Oktay] Vural said.

So is Turkey kowtowing to the West and Israel, or turning against them? Or, is all of this evidence that Turkey is moving towards being neither solely “Eastern” or “Western” but something all its own?

via Turkey Under Fire For Hosting NATO Radar Protecting… Israel? | EurasiaNet.org.

September 13, 2011
Turkey: Navy Will Escort Gaza Flotillas

By REUTERS

Turkey said Thursday that it would escort aid ships to Gaza and would not allow a repetition of last year’s Israeli raid that killed nine Turks. “Turkish warships, in the first place, are authorized to protect our ships that carry humanitarian aid to Gaza,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, said in an interview on Al Jazeera television. “From now on, we will not let these ships be attacked by Israel, as happened with the Freedom Flotilla.” He also said that Turkey had taken steps to stop Israel from unilaterally exploiting natural resources in the Mediterranean. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, Yigal Palmor, said, “This is a statement well worth not commenting on.”

www.nytimes.com, September 8, 2011

September 9, 2011