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Turkey angered by comments made by Israeli general

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  • Turkey angered by comments made by Israeli general

    PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria
    Feb 14 2009


    Turkey angered by comments made by Israeli general

    2009-02-14 20:26:05 -


    ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Turkey's foreign ministry summoned Israel's
    ambassador on Saturday to complain about a comment a senior Israeli
    general had made criticizing Turkey. It was the latest development in
    a growing war of words between the two U.S. allies.
    After the meeting, Israel's military issued a statement saying the
    remarks that Israeli Maj.
    Gen. Avi Mizrahi had made on Tuesday did not reflect Israel's official
    view.
    Turkish officials were not immediately available for comment to
    respond to the Israeli military's statement.
    Turkey's foreign ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy to
    ask for an urgent explanation over comments that Mizrahi had made on
    Tuesday at a military base in Israel. Turkish media said Mizrahi had
    accused Turkey of killing Armenians in 1915, and of oppressing Kurds
    and occupying Cyprus.
    Turkey has long been Israel's closest ally in the Muslim world, and it
    has worked hard to try to mediate for peace in the Middle East, along
    with Egypt and France.
    Mizrahi's remarks concerned very sensitive issues in Turkey and
    angered its government.
    They apparently were made in response to Turkish Prime Minister Recep
    Tayyip Erdogan who had sharply reprimanded Israeli President Shimon
    Peres over civilian casualties during the Gaza war at the World
    Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
    «While referring to the criticism of Israel by Turkey, Gen. Mizrahi
    made statements that could be interpreted as criticism of Turkey's
    past,» said a statement by Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu, spokesman for the
    Israel Defense Forces. «The IDF spokesperson wishes to clarify that
    this is not the official position of the IDF.
    Turkey's foreign ministry issued a statement calling Mizrahi's remarks
    «baseless» and saying they contained «unacceptable allegations and
    ravings» and that they were «directed against our prime minister.
    Turkey's Radikal newspaper reported Saturday that Mizrahi also
    responded to Erdogan's call that Israel should be barred from the
    United Nations by saying that Turkey should be barred as well.
    The Turkish military said Mizrahi's remarks «deviate from the truth
    and cannot be accepted under any condition» and «can harm national
    interests between the two countries,» underlining the importance
    relations between the two countries.

    The Turkish military's harsh reaction on Saturday reflected its deep
    uneasiness, given its close defense ties with Israel. They include
    training agreements and Turkish defense purchases from Israel worth
    hundreds of millions of dollars.

    Associated Press Writer Steve Weizman in Jerusalem and Gulden Alp in
    Ankara contributed to this report.
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