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Dec 25 2010
Al Arabiya: Turkish-Israeli split amid Armenian Genocide Resolution
December 25, 2010 | 08:27
NEWS.am posts the article published by Al Arabiya news agency.
`Turkey's foreign minister has welcomed a decision by U.S. lawmakers
not to take up a resolution declaring last century's mass killings of
Armenians a genocide,' the source reads.
Ahmet Davutoglu said approval of the resolution would have harmed
U.S.-Turkish ties and hampered Turkey's efforts to normalize ties with
longtime foe Armenia.
Davutoglu said `common sense has prevailed once again.'
`Supporters of the resolution made a push for approval in the final
days of Congress, despite opposition from the Obama administration.
Instead, the House of Representatives ended its two-year term
Wednesday without taking up the matter,' the source reports.
Meanwhile, Israel is boosting its ties with Balkan nations after a
deep freeze in relations with Turkey, formerly its closest and
strongest regional ally.
For over a decade, Ankara and the Jewish state shared warm relations,
bolstered by important agreements on defense and the high-tech
industry.
Ties were so strong that Ankara even acted as an intermediary for
indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria,' the source says.
The relationship faltered in December 2008, when Israel launched a
devastating military operation in the Gaza Strip, prompting Turkey to
abandon its mediation efforts.
`But the final blow to the once-solid partnership was a May 2010
Israeli raid on a convoy of ships trying to break the Israeli blockade
on Gaza. The navy operation killed nine Turks and caused a major
crisis in bilateral ties.
Israel is in low-key talks with Ankara to restore relations, but in
the meantime has been noticeably upgrading ties with other nearby
countries including Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria,' the source
reports.
`In August, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first Israeli
premier to visit Greece, traditionally a pro-Arab country, after
signing a series of military and economic cooperation deals. Israel
hopes to one day export some of the natural gas recently discovered in
marine gas fields off its northern shore to Europe via Greece,' the
author stresses.
`As part of its development of the fields, Israel also signed a deal
delineating an economic free zone with Cyprus, prompting an outcry
from Turkey, which occupies the northern part of the island and does
not acknowledge the internationally-recognized Cypriot government that
signed the deal.
But Israel brushed off the criticism, and has forged ahead with other
agreements that fill gaps created when relations with Ankara became
soured.
In particular, the troubled ties mean Israel can no longer train its
air force in Turkish skies, a blow to a small country with little
space of its own. In recent months, it has begun carrying out joint
air force exercises with Greece, Romania and Bulgaria,' the source
informs.
`Despite the slew of new initiatives aimed at Balkan nations, Israel
officially denies that the improved ties are intended to supplant
Turkey's role,' the source reads.
From: A. Papazian
Dec 25 2010
Al Arabiya: Turkish-Israeli split amid Armenian Genocide Resolution
December 25, 2010 | 08:27
NEWS.am posts the article published by Al Arabiya news agency.
`Turkey's foreign minister has welcomed a decision by U.S. lawmakers
not to take up a resolution declaring last century's mass killings of
Armenians a genocide,' the source reads.
Ahmet Davutoglu said approval of the resolution would have harmed
U.S.-Turkish ties and hampered Turkey's efforts to normalize ties with
longtime foe Armenia.
Davutoglu said `common sense has prevailed once again.'
`Supporters of the resolution made a push for approval in the final
days of Congress, despite opposition from the Obama administration.
Instead, the House of Representatives ended its two-year term
Wednesday without taking up the matter,' the source reports.
Meanwhile, Israel is boosting its ties with Balkan nations after a
deep freeze in relations with Turkey, formerly its closest and
strongest regional ally.
For over a decade, Ankara and the Jewish state shared warm relations,
bolstered by important agreements on defense and the high-tech
industry.
Ties were so strong that Ankara even acted as an intermediary for
indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria,' the source says.
The relationship faltered in December 2008, when Israel launched a
devastating military operation in the Gaza Strip, prompting Turkey to
abandon its mediation efforts.
`But the final blow to the once-solid partnership was a May 2010
Israeli raid on a convoy of ships trying to break the Israeli blockade
on Gaza. The navy operation killed nine Turks and caused a major
crisis in bilateral ties.
Israel is in low-key talks with Ankara to restore relations, but in
the meantime has been noticeably upgrading ties with other nearby
countries including Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria,' the source
reports.
`In August, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first Israeli
premier to visit Greece, traditionally a pro-Arab country, after
signing a series of military and economic cooperation deals. Israel
hopes to one day export some of the natural gas recently discovered in
marine gas fields off its northern shore to Europe via Greece,' the
author stresses.
`As part of its development of the fields, Israel also signed a deal
delineating an economic free zone with Cyprus, prompting an outcry
from Turkey, which occupies the northern part of the island and does
not acknowledge the internationally-recognized Cypriot government that
signed the deal.
But Israel brushed off the criticism, and has forged ahead with other
agreements that fill gaps created when relations with Ankara became
soured.
In particular, the troubled ties mean Israel can no longer train its
air force in Turkish skies, a blow to a small country with little
space of its own. In recent months, it has begun carrying out joint
air force exercises with Greece, Romania and Bulgaria,' the source
informs.
`Despite the slew of new initiatives aimed at Balkan nations, Israel
officially denies that the improved ties are intended to supplant
Turkey's role,' the source reads.
From: A. Papazian