Tag: Ayalon

  • Prospects Dim for Turkey’s Ties To Israel

    Prospects Dim for Turkey’s Ties To Israel

    Supporters of Hamas' Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh shout slogans against Israel in front of the cruise liner Mavi Marmara in Istanbul
    Supporters of Hamas’ Gaza leader, Ismail Haniyeh, shout slogans against Israel in front of the cruise liner Mavi Marmara in Istanbul, Jan. 2, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Osman Orsal )

    By: Semih Idiz for Al-Monitor Turkey Pulse. posted on January 20.

    The current woeful state of the once mutually beneficial Turkish-Israel ties resembles Humpty Dumpty after his proverbial fall. None of the king’s horses or of the king’s men have been successful so far in putting these ties back together again. This has not, however, stopped Israel from trying to come up with formulas aimed at appeasing Turkey. Ankara’s position nevertheless remains firm, with its preconditions for normalized ties almost writ in stone.

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    Summary :

    Semih Idiz reviews Turkish-Israeli ties and sees no incentive for Ankara to improve ties with Israel at this time.

    Author: Semih Idiz
    posted on : January 20 2013

    Relations between the two countries, already strained over Israel’s “Operation Cast Lead” against Gaza in December 2008, plummeted after Israeli forces killed nine Turkish pro-Palestinian activists in May 2010.  The Turks — one of them a US citizen also — were shot in international waters in the eastern Mediterranean by Israeli soldiers raiding the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish aid ship that was part of an international flotilla trying to force the Israel blockade of Gaza.

    Turkey continues to wait for Israel to formally and unequivocally apologize over the incident, and is also demanding compensation for the killed Turks, as well as the raising of the siege of Gaza, before it considers improving ties with the Jewish state.

    Israel, for its part, argues that the Turks on the Mavi Marmara were armed and hostile; a charge vehemently denied by the organizers of the international flotilla and Turkey. Not surprisingly, the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to meet Turkish demands.

    Israel has nevertheless sent out feelers, mostly through members of the Turkish media, for improved ties. The latest attempt came a few days ago from Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, who told daily Hurriyet that the manner in which the US and Pakistan had resolved a similar dispute provided a convenient blueprint for Israel and Turkey.

    He was referring to the letter sent by the US to Pakistan after American jets mistakenly killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November 2011 in an air raid. “I could consider resolving this problem by using the text of the US-Pakistan agreement,” Ayalon was quoted saying.

    When asked if the letter he was proposing on the basis of the US letter to Pakistan contained an apology Ayalon said, “Yes. If you read the text of the (US) letter it is very clear to everyone.” Turkish diplomats sounded out by Al-Monitor, however, are not so sure.

    They argued that Washington’s letter, while expressing regret over the Pakistani soldiers killed, nevertheless fell short of a full apology that could bring legal liability with it.

    They also pointed to the fact that although former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has endorsed the US-Pakistani model, he has, nevertheless, said that this would not amount to a formal apology.

    Ayalon, who is key a member of the Knesset for the nationalist “Israel Our Home” party, has insisted in the past — together with Lieberman — that the Turks on the Mavi Marmara were armed and dangerous and so there is no need to apologize to anyone over the incident.

    Ayalon also gained notoriety among Turks for contributing personally to damaging Turkish-Israeli relations, after he insulted the Turkish ambassador in 2010 by inviting him to the foreign ministry, to be informed of Israel’s displeasure with Turkey, and seated him in a low chair, in front of reporters, while he took the high chair.

    The move was widely considered to be a setup planned by Ayalon to willfully belittle Turkey, and was also criticized in Israel where many felt it was Israel’s image, and not Turkey’s, that had been harmed by a serious lack of diplomatic finesse.

    What Ayalon is proposing now, however, is not good enough for Turkey, according to government sources, who say Ankara’s demands should be met without any ambiguity. Diplomats in Ankara say Israel is reluctant to provide the apology Turkey demands because this would amount to an admission of guilt, which could expose members of the Israeli armed forces to international court cases.

    Meanwhile, a court in Istanbul began a trial in absentia in October 2012 against former Israel army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, ex-naval chief Eliezer Marom, former head of military intelligence Amos Yadlin, and former head of the air force Avishai Lev, who are accused of masterminding the Mavi Marmara raid.

    Israel has dismissed this as a “kangaroo court,” while Western diplomats in Ankara say the trial, whose legal basis is questionable, poses no risk for Israel given the September 2011 findings of a panel of inquiry commissioned by the UN Secretary General.

    According to the “Palmer Panel,” Israel’s blockade of Gaza is “a legitimate security measure.” The panel also maintained that Israeli troops faced “significant, organized and violent resistance” on the Mavi Marmara, even though it added that boarding the ship and the use of substantial force was “excessive and unreasonable.”

    Turkey, however, rejected these findings, arguing that the inquiry that counts is the one conducted by the UN’s Human Rights Council in 2010, which found Israel guilty on almost all counts. And there the matter rests today, with neither the US, nor any other country interested in resolving this dispute, having had any success in trying to normalize Turkish-Israeli ties.

    What makes a settlement difficult is the fact that there is an asymmetrical situation in hand. Israel needs improved ties with Ankara much more than the other way around. The importance of improved ties with Turkey was also admitted to by Ayalon in his remarks to Hurriyet.

    “Economically, strategically, and for other reasons, it is very important for Turkey and Israel to cooperate” he said pointing to the turmoil in the Middle East, and expressing his hope that 2013 will see Turkish-Israeli ties set on the right course.

    However, a rapprochement with Israel, and especially one in which Ankara’s demands are not met, would be a political liability for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not just at home, but also in the Middle East where his reputation among Sunni Arabs is running high. Put another way, there is no incentive for the Erdogan government to improve ties with Israel at the moment.

    Meanwhile, the fact that Turkey recently lifted its objection to Israeli participation in certain NATO activities in 2013 appears to have raised hopes among Israeli officials for improved ties. Many Israelis see this resulting from a trade-off between Turkey and NATO after Ankara requested Patriot missiles against any missile attacks from Syria.

    Officials in Ankara sounded out by Al-Monitor disagreed. They argued that there was no such trade-off, since NATO would have harmed its image as an alliance if it failed to respond to a request by a strategic ally in order to please a non-member country.

    They also emphasized that Turkey has not given NATO a carte blanche in its dealings with Israel.

    Even if Turkey’s NATO allies are keen for a rapprochement between Turkey and Israel, it seems unlikely that this will come about until Ankara’s demands are met by Israel. Given Israel’s hard-line stance, despite its search for a formula that might appease Turkey, it is not difficult to see that Turkish-Israeli ties will remain in the doldrums for the foreseeable future.

    But even if Humpty Dumpty could be put together somehow, it appears, from today’s perspective, that the cracks will continue to show, the shell having been broken once.

    Semih İdiz is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor’s Turkey Pulse. A journalist who has been covering diplomacy and foreign-policy issues for major Turkish newspapers for 30 years, his opinion pieces can be followed in the English language Hurriyet Daily News, he can also be read in Taraf.

    Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2013/01/turkey-israel-flotilla-gaza.html#ixzz2IbrTJDVQ
  • Ayalon to Turkey: I never intended to humiliate your ambassador

    Ayalon to Turkey: I never intended to humiliate your ambassador

    Deputy FM Ayalon tells Turkish journalists it is time to restore ties with Israel, urges Turkey to ‘get together and speak about everything we need to speak about.’

    4158933078Nearly two years after Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon publicly humiliated Turkey’s ambassador to Israel by seating him in a lower chair than his during a televised meeting, Ayalon on Thursday sat with a group of seven Turkish journalists in an attempt to explain the incident, which marked a climax in the diplomatic tear between the two countries.

    The Turkish Journalists told Ayalon that he has come to be known in their country as “the man with the low chair,” but Ayalon insisted that the incident was a joke that was blown out of proportion.

    Danny Ayalon Turkey

    Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon heightens already tense ties with Turkey by seating Ankara’s ambassador on a ‘lower chair’ during talks in Tel Aviv.

    Photo by: Olivier Fitoussi

    Ayalon explained that nothing in the meeting, which provoked harsh criticism from the Turkish government, was planned in advance. He added that he had sent a letter of apology to the ambassador after the incident in which he explained that he had no intention to humiliate him.

    A journalist for the Turkish daily Hurriyet was not satisfied with the deputy FM’s explanation and asked him to sit in a low chair as he posed for a picture with her.

    Ayalon agreed.

    Following the meeting, the Turkish reporter wrote in her article which adorned the paper’s front page on Friday, “I pulled the Turkish ambassador trick on Ayalon.”

    Ayalon also stressed during the press conference that this was an instrumental time to restore Israel’s relations with Turkey, praising the humanitarian aid group IHH’s announcement that they will not be sending a ship to join the aid flotilla planned to set sail for Gaza later this month.

    “The fact that the Mavi Marmara will not be coming [to Gaza for a second time] is also a good opportunity for us to renew our ties. We should get together and speak about everything we need to speak about,” Ayalon said.

    He also urged the Turks to condemn Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel and recognize Israel.

    “Turkey has the right to form its own foreign policy. We respect that. We have no right to tell them not to make contact with different factions. But this must not be a game where everyone loses. Israel must not be sacrificed to develop their relations. If an announcement declaring unity was made today regarding the meeting over Hamas with Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas], then we would be happy. Palestinian unity is in our interests; that way we will know who to engage with [in talks.] We would kiss the hands of each and every Turk if Hamas said they accept the Oslo [Treaty], condemn terror and recognize Israel,” Turkish daily Hurriyet quoted Ayalon.

    “I believe what we have lost over the past few years is trust. Now we need to let go of this mutual blame game as to why this trust was lost. Political tensions in Turkey have been left behind following the [general] elections,” Ayalon said.

    He added that Israel would welcome a Turkish role in the region as a mediator under the right circumstances.

    “If Turkey wants to bring together Palestinian groups, this presents no problem for us. We respect that. Turkey is a regional power and has a historical role, and it might be able to influence the process,” he said.

    Earlier this week Haaretz reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon to serve as an envoy to work for Israel’s reconciliation with Turkey.

    This revelation came days after another report that Israeli and Turkish officials have been holding secret direct talks to try to solve the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

    A source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry and a U.S. official confirmed that talks are being held, though in Israel the prime minister and foreign minister’s aides declined to comment.

    The Israeli official said that Israel is maintaining its position of refusing to apologize to Turkey over the deadly raid, but is ready to express regret over the incident.

    via Ayalon to Turkey: I never intended to humiliate your ambassador – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

  • Israel may recognise Ottoman Armenian genocide

    Israel may recognise Ottoman Armenian genocide

    TEL AVIV // A plan by Israel’s parliamentary speaker to move the country closer to recognising the 1915 killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide worries foreign ministry officials because it threatens to worsen ties with Turkey.

    Members of the Jerusalem Armenian community hold placards as they march during commemorations for the 96th anniversary of mass killings of their ancestors under the Ottoman Empire, at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. Gali Tibbon / AFP Photo
    Members of the Jerusalem Armenian community hold placards as they march during commemorations for the 96th anniversary of mass killings of their ancestors under the Ottoman Empire, at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. Gali Tibbon / AFP Photo

    The decision by Reuven Rivlin, a member of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, is a break with the years-long Israeli policy to take no stance on the massacre.

    On Monday, Mr Rivlin said that the 120-member parliament will begin holding an annual session to mark the massacre.

    “It’s my duty as a Jew and an Israeli to recognise the tragedies of other nations,” said Mr Rivlin, in an indirect reference to the Holocaust. “Diplomatic considerations, as considerable as they are, will not allow us to deny the catastrophe of others.”

    Israel, like the US, has never acknowledged that the massacre of up to 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks was genocide, saying that the historical dispute should be settled between Turkey and Armenia. Its long-held view, however, is widely attributed to its desire to maintain good relations with Turkey, which has vehemently denied that genocide had taken place.

    The Israeli stance has been supported for years by pro-Israel Jewish organisations in the US, which have pressured the US Congress and successive presidents to defeat congressional resolutions marking the killing of the Armenians. Turkey is a key ally that has supported the US in confrontations from Afghanistan to Iran.

    Mr Rivlin’s move to conduct an event that would publicly question Turkey’s denial is probably a result of the deteriorating ties between Israel and Turkey.

    The allies’ relations have suffered amid Turkey’s growing condemnation of the Jewish state’s approach towards the Palestinians and after Israeli commandos’ killing of nine Turkish activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla last year.

    Yossi Sarid, a former education minister, said the parliament’s approval of Mr Rivlin’s initiative was due to Israel’s anger at Turkey’s support of an upcoming international aid flotilla that aims to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza’s airspace, territorial waters and all but one of its border crossings.

    “The Israelis no longer favour the Turks and are willing to give up the charms and temptations of Antalya,” he wrote in the Haaretz newspaper yesterday, referring to the Turkish resort city that in the past was a major tourism destination for Israelis.

    Mr Rivlin’s announcement has also stirred speculation in the Israeli and Turkish press that Israel intended to pressure Turkey to stop the Gaza-bound flotilla expected as soon as this month.

    On Monday, a coalition of 22 activist groups aiming to take part in the new flotilla said at a news conference aboard the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, the ship on which last year’s confrontation took place, that 15 ships would be in the new convoy.

    Their briefing came a day after Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, warned Israel against launching another raid of the aid flotilla. “We are sending a clear message to all those concerned: the same tragedy should not be repeated again,” he told the Reuters news agency.

    Muslim Turkey accepts that as many as 1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed by Ottoman forces but denies the act amounted to genocide, a term employed by many Western historians and some foreign parliaments.

    The Israeli government has expressed opposition to Mr Rivlin’s initiative, with Danny Ayalon, deputy foreign minister and a member of the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu party, saying this week it was “impossible” for Israel to officially recognise the genocide.

    Mr Rivlin’s announcement comes after the parliament’s vote last week to hold an open, public debate on the Armenians’ massacre.

     

    foreign.desk@thenational.ae

    via Israel may recognise Ottoman Armenian genocide – The National.