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Turkey-Israel Military Arrangement
Hellenic News of America
January 10, 2005
By Gene Rossides
The Turkey-Israel military arrangement initiated in 1996 is not in the
best interests of the United States nor is it in the best interests of
Israel.
That arrangement was initiated primarily to obtain profits for
Israel's arms industry, and not for reasons related to Israel's
security as a nation.
The late Professor Amos Perlmutter, a Middle East expert, stated on
June 21, 1999 at an American Hellenic Institute noon forum that the
goal of the military cooperation understanding from Israel's viewpoint
was to provide jobs and profits for the Israeli arms industry.
In response to a question he stated it was not aimed at Greece. It was
simply arms cooperation with Turkey for profits. In 2003, Defense News
ranked Israel number 3 in arms exports based on 2002 contracts
including significant sales to Turkey.
Israel does not need Turkey to defend itself. As was astutely observed
long ago by Israeli General Moshe Dayan, Turkey is not within Israel's
defense perimeter. Turkey is thus of limited value to Israel.
The Turkey-Israel military arrangement can be considered harmful to
Israel as it has been an impediment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process and the road map because of its misguided emphasis on the
military instead of diplomacy.
It is also tragic that part of the understanding between Israel and
Turkey was that Israel would continue to deny the Armenian Genocide
and would not comment on Turkey's human rights violations against
Turkey's 20% Kurdish minority.
Furthermore, Israel's military cooperation with Turkey makes Israel an
accessory to Turkey's ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and
genocide against its 15-20 million Kurdish minority. It should also be
noted that the U.S. military and economic assistance to Turkey these
past decades has made the U.S. the prime accessory to Turkey's massive
human rights violations against the Kurds.
Israel's failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide mirrors those
nations and individuals who do not acknowledge the Jewish
Holocaust. Unfortunately, Israel does not stand alone in this regard:
the U.S. Executive Branch has also failed to acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide. The U.S. and Israel also need to acknowledge the genocide by
Turkey between 1914-1923 of 350,000 Greeks of the Pontos, Black Sea
region.
The attempts to deny the Jewish Holocaust have been vigorously
denounced and rightly so by Israel and the U.S., in books, articles,
speeches and in the media. Yet where is the outcry against Turkey's
and Israel's denial of the Armenian Genocide? And where is the outcry
against Turkey's horrendous crimes against its Kurdish minority?
It is imperative that the U.S. change its policy towards Turkey. If
nothing else, Turkey's refusal on March 1, 2003 to allow U.S. troops
to use bases in Turkey to open a northern front on Iraq should have
resulted in a critical review of U.S. policy towards Turkey. The
successful prosecution of the war by the U.S. against Iraq without
Turkey's help proved Turkey's marginality as a strategic resource in
the region.
Unfortunately, a critical review of U.S.-Turkey relations has been
blocked by the handful of Turkey's proponents to the detriment of
U.S. interests. The handful of Turkey's proponents is comprised of
present and former U.S. officials, think tank advocates and Turkey's
paid U.S. foreign agents registered with the Department of Justice.
Leading the pack are Defense Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, Defense
Under Secretary for Policy, Douglas Feith, former Defense Advisory
Board member Richard Perle, State Under Secretary for Political
Affairs, Marc Grossman and U.S. registered foreign agents for Turkey,
former Congressmen Bob Livingston (R-LA) and Stephen Solarz (D-NY) who
are paid $1.8 million annually by Turkey. Mr. Feith is a former paid
agent of Turkey who headed International Advisors Inc. (IAI) from
1989-1994 and received $60,000 annually. IAI was initiated by Richard
Perle and was registered with the U.S. Department of Justice as a
foreign agent for Turkey. Mr. Perle is a former paid consultant for
Turkey in his capacity as a paid consultant to IAI at $48,000
annually.
U.S. policy regarding Turkey is not being run on the basis of what is
best for the U.S., but on the basis of what Israel's proponents
believe is best for Israel, which they then equate with what is best
for the U.S. How else can one explain the decades long appeasement and
double standards applied to Turkey on aggression, the rule of law and
human rights. The Cold War has been over for 15 years.
The overwhelming majority of Jewish Americans recognize the Armenian
Genocide and are appalled by Turkey's horrendous human rights abuses
against its Kurdish minority and citizens generally.
A critical review of U.S. policy towards Turkey and a termination of
the Turkey-Israel military arrangement is needed in the best interests
of the U.S. Included in such a review should be a strong
recommendation for support of Turkey's human rights organizations and
its leaders.
Gene Rossides is President of the American Hellenic Institute and
former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
http://www.hellenicnews.com/readnews.html?newsid=2941&lang=US
Hellenic News of America
January 10, 2005
By Gene Rossides
The Turkey-Israel military arrangement initiated in 1996 is not in the
best interests of the United States nor is it in the best interests of
Israel.
That arrangement was initiated primarily to obtain profits for
Israel's arms industry, and not for reasons related to Israel's
security as a nation.
The late Professor Amos Perlmutter, a Middle East expert, stated on
June 21, 1999 at an American Hellenic Institute noon forum that the
goal of the military cooperation understanding from Israel's viewpoint
was to provide jobs and profits for the Israeli arms industry.
In response to a question he stated it was not aimed at Greece. It was
simply arms cooperation with Turkey for profits. In 2003, Defense News
ranked Israel number 3 in arms exports based on 2002 contracts
including significant sales to Turkey.
Israel does not need Turkey to defend itself. As was astutely observed
long ago by Israeli General Moshe Dayan, Turkey is not within Israel's
defense perimeter. Turkey is thus of limited value to Israel.
The Turkey-Israel military arrangement can be considered harmful to
Israel as it has been an impediment to the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process and the road map because of its misguided emphasis on the
military instead of diplomacy.
It is also tragic that part of the understanding between Israel and
Turkey was that Israel would continue to deny the Armenian Genocide
and would not comment on Turkey's human rights violations against
Turkey's 20% Kurdish minority.
Furthermore, Israel's military cooperation with Turkey makes Israel an
accessory to Turkey's ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and
genocide against its 15-20 million Kurdish minority. It should also be
noted that the U.S. military and economic assistance to Turkey these
past decades has made the U.S. the prime accessory to Turkey's massive
human rights violations against the Kurds.
Israel's failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide mirrors those
nations and individuals who do not acknowledge the Jewish
Holocaust. Unfortunately, Israel does not stand alone in this regard:
the U.S. Executive Branch has also failed to acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide. The U.S. and Israel also need to acknowledge the genocide by
Turkey between 1914-1923 of 350,000 Greeks of the Pontos, Black Sea
region.
The attempts to deny the Jewish Holocaust have been vigorously
denounced and rightly so by Israel and the U.S., in books, articles,
speeches and in the media. Yet where is the outcry against Turkey's
and Israel's denial of the Armenian Genocide? And where is the outcry
against Turkey's horrendous crimes against its Kurdish minority?
It is imperative that the U.S. change its policy towards Turkey. If
nothing else, Turkey's refusal on March 1, 2003 to allow U.S. troops
to use bases in Turkey to open a northern front on Iraq should have
resulted in a critical review of U.S. policy towards Turkey. The
successful prosecution of the war by the U.S. against Iraq without
Turkey's help proved Turkey's marginality as a strategic resource in
the region.
Unfortunately, a critical review of U.S.-Turkey relations has been
blocked by the handful of Turkey's proponents to the detriment of
U.S. interests. The handful of Turkey's proponents is comprised of
present and former U.S. officials, think tank advocates and Turkey's
paid U.S. foreign agents registered with the Department of Justice.
Leading the pack are Defense Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, Defense
Under Secretary for Policy, Douglas Feith, former Defense Advisory
Board member Richard Perle, State Under Secretary for Political
Affairs, Marc Grossman and U.S. registered foreign agents for Turkey,
former Congressmen Bob Livingston (R-LA) and Stephen Solarz (D-NY) who
are paid $1.8 million annually by Turkey. Mr. Feith is a former paid
agent of Turkey who headed International Advisors Inc. (IAI) from
1989-1994 and received $60,000 annually. IAI was initiated by Richard
Perle and was registered with the U.S. Department of Justice as a
foreign agent for Turkey. Mr. Perle is a former paid consultant for
Turkey in his capacity as a paid consultant to IAI at $48,000
annually.
U.S. policy regarding Turkey is not being run on the basis of what is
best for the U.S., but on the basis of what Israel's proponents
believe is best for Israel, which they then equate with what is best
for the U.S. How else can one explain the decades long appeasement and
double standards applied to Turkey on aggression, the rule of law and
human rights. The Cold War has been over for 15 years.
The overwhelming majority of Jewish Americans recognize the Armenian
Genocide and are appalled by Turkey's horrendous human rights abuses
against its Kurdish minority and citizens generally.
A critical review of U.S. policy towards Turkey and a termination of
the Turkey-Israel military arrangement is needed in the best interests
of the U.S. Included in such a review should be a strong
recommendation for support of Turkey's human rights organizations and
its leaders.
Gene Rossides is President of the American Hellenic Institute and
former U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
http://www.hellenicnews.com/readnews.html?newsid=2941&lang=US