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TURKISH RULING PARTY AT ODDS ON MILITARY TIES WITH ISRAEL
Hurriyet
June 7 2010
Turkey
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. AA photo
Conflicting statements issued by ruling-party officials seem to
indicate a rift over whether all military and defense agreements with
Israel should be cancelled - and perhaps how the country should pursue
future ties with Tel Aviv.
The government intends to sever military agreements and other
connections with Israel in the wake of its assault on a Turkish aid
ship, Justice and Development Party, or AKP, deputy leader Omer Celik,
who is responsible for foreign affairs, said in an interview late
Sunday with the private channel NTV.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also indicated that such relations
might be at risk.
"The future of any agreements with Israel depends on Israel's
attitude," Davutoglu told reporters early Monday at a joint press
conference with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts in Istanbul. If
Israel does not give the green light, and its full cooperation, to
an international inquiry into the deadly incident at sea, he added,
"Turkish-Israeli relations cannot be normalized."
Defense Minister Vecdi Gönul denied there had been any request
to cancel military agreements, saying such measures fall under the
mandate of the Foreign Ministry.
Turkey recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv and cancelled three joint
military exercises with Israel following the Israeli attack against
a Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Eight Turks and
one American of Turkish descent were killed during the attack.
Indirectly criticizing his fellow party members for speculating on
the additional measures Turkey might take against Israel, Deputy
Prime Minister Bulent Arınc said Monday afternoon that discussions
are ongoing about Turkey's response.
"It is not appropriate to say, 'We will do this and that,' whenever we
see a microphone," he said. "As a state we'll do whatever is needed in
response to this aggressiveness. We shouldn't do this in daily talks.
We should consider it in a serious way."
The legal framework for bilateral military and defense cooperation
between Israel and Turkey were provided in 1996, when the two
countries inked cooperation agreements regarding the military and
the defense industry. Both caused strong reactions from other Muslim
countries, which accused Turkey of aligning itself with Israel and that
country's occupation of Palestinian territory. The military signed both
agreements despite opposition from the religious-oriented government
at the time, which was later shut down by the Constitutional Court
on charges of anti-secular activity.
Hidden military agreements?
The discussion about canceling military deals with Israel has also
prompted speculation about the existence of other deals between the two
countries that have been kept secret. Sedat Laciner, the head of the
Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization, or USAK,
said Turkey and Israel have signed some secret documents in the past.
"There are hidden agreements signed between the militaries of Turkey
and Israel without the knowledge of previous governments. And now the
government has learned about them," Laciner said in a phone interview
with the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Monday. He did not,
however, disclose what these secret agreements might be.
Laciner stressed that Israel's armament industry is not developed
enough to be Turkey's biggest partner. "The arms sales from the U.S.
to Turkey that were blocked in Congress by the lobbies of Armenians and
Greek Cypriots were directed to Israel," he said. "This provided Israel
the opportunity to be the first country in arms trade with Turkey."
Commenting on the possibility of canceling military agreements with
Israel, Laciner said: "There will be problems over arms sales from
the U.S. Then Turkey will have to find new markets or improve its
domestic armament industry to handle these problems."
From: A. Papazian
Hurriyet
June 7 2010
Turkey
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. AA photo
Conflicting statements issued by ruling-party officials seem to
indicate a rift over whether all military and defense agreements with
Israel should be cancelled - and perhaps how the country should pursue
future ties with Tel Aviv.
The government intends to sever military agreements and other
connections with Israel in the wake of its assault on a Turkish aid
ship, Justice and Development Party, or AKP, deputy leader Omer Celik,
who is responsible for foreign affairs, said in an interview late
Sunday with the private channel NTV.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also indicated that such relations
might be at risk.
"The future of any agreements with Israel depends on Israel's
attitude," Davutoglu told reporters early Monday at a joint press
conference with his Afghan and Pakistani counterparts in Istanbul. If
Israel does not give the green light, and its full cooperation, to
an international inquiry into the deadly incident at sea, he added,
"Turkish-Israeli relations cannot be normalized."
Defense Minister Vecdi Gönul denied there had been any request
to cancel military agreements, saying such measures fall under the
mandate of the Foreign Ministry.
Turkey recalled its ambassador to Tel Aviv and cancelled three joint
military exercises with Israel following the Israeli attack against
a Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Eight Turks and
one American of Turkish descent were killed during the attack.
Indirectly criticizing his fellow party members for speculating on
the additional measures Turkey might take against Israel, Deputy
Prime Minister Bulent Arınc said Monday afternoon that discussions
are ongoing about Turkey's response.
"It is not appropriate to say, 'We will do this and that,' whenever we
see a microphone," he said. "As a state we'll do whatever is needed in
response to this aggressiveness. We shouldn't do this in daily talks.
We should consider it in a serious way."
The legal framework for bilateral military and defense cooperation
between Israel and Turkey were provided in 1996, when the two
countries inked cooperation agreements regarding the military and
the defense industry. Both caused strong reactions from other Muslim
countries, which accused Turkey of aligning itself with Israel and that
country's occupation of Palestinian territory. The military signed both
agreements despite opposition from the religious-oriented government
at the time, which was later shut down by the Constitutional Court
on charges of anti-secular activity.
Hidden military agreements?
The discussion about canceling military deals with Israel has also
prompted speculation about the existence of other deals between the two
countries that have been kept secret. Sedat Laciner, the head of the
Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization, or USAK,
said Turkey and Israel have signed some secret documents in the past.
"There are hidden agreements signed between the militaries of Turkey
and Israel without the knowledge of previous governments. And now the
government has learned about them," Laciner said in a phone interview
with the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Monday. He did not,
however, disclose what these secret agreements might be.
Laciner stressed that Israel's armament industry is not developed
enough to be Turkey's biggest partner. "The arms sales from the U.S.
to Turkey that were blocked in Congress by the lobbies of Armenians and
Greek Cypriots were directed to Israel," he said. "This provided Israel
the opportunity to be the first country in arms trade with Turkey."
Commenting on the possibility of canceling military agreements with
Israel, Laciner said: "There will be problems over arms sales from
the U.S. Then Turkey will have to find new markets or improve its
domestic armament industry to handle these problems."
From: A. Papazian