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APOLOGY WRESTLING
Hurriyet Daily News
July 28, 2011
Turkey
Yusuf Kanlı - [email protected]
Since the absolute ruler decided so, all the economists of the country
joined in hailing the strong Turkish economy and ruling out any fallout
of a new global economic-financial crisis on the Turkish economy. No
one of course would wish Turkey suffers from a crisis, but perhaps
it might be wiser to consider some measures further than an assertion
that this time the crisis will not even pass Turkey tangentially.
Anyhow, since the absolute ruler says there is no crisis and Turkey
will not be affected from a new global crisis even tangentially,
let's look at another crisis which has been one of the factors feeding
growing conservatism in the country for some time; the Israel-Turkey
standoff over Turkey's demand for an Israeli apology for last summer's
attack on Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship participating in a Gaza-bound
international aid flotilla, in which Israeli soldiers killed eight
Turkish nationals and a Turkish-American.
Particularly since last Sunday the Israeli inner-cabinet, or the
so-called "group of eight" met several times on the issue and
according to Israeli sources has finally decided five to three to
make an "apology" and pay compensation to the relatives of the victims.
Israel, however, is still unable to deliver the apology much-demanded
by Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, because of its
worries in regards to the "legal responsibility" of the soldiers -
to be more precise, officers - involved in the deadly high sea piracy
on Mavi Marmara. If Israel does not apologize, Turkey's "plan B" in
this year-long standoff includes allowing relatives of victims of the
Israeli's attack on the Turkish ship to seek justice at international
court. Yet, there is no guarantee that after a formal apology of
any sort by the Israeli state the issue will not be referred by the
relatives of the victims to international jurisprudence.
According to Israeli sources, though the apology decision was
made several days ago, the international jurisprudence concerns
have so far marred Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, walking that
unprecedented road. Yes, in whatever form it might come, it would
be the first-ever for the state of Israel to apologize to another
country, or individuals, for a military operation undertaken by
its armed forces, and to pay - even though through a foundation -
compensation of any sort. It will of course be painful for Israel,
as much as it would be a revolutionary move.
Israeli apology may come as early as today, or tomorrow, if Erdogan
does not deliver yet another explosive remark. Erdogan, talking to
a gathering of Palestinian ambassadors had upped Turkey's demands
for normalization of relations with Israel, introducing "ending the
Gaza blockade" condition to the apology and compensation conditions
declared earlier. Israel has so far preferred to totally ignore that
new third condition spelled out by the Turkish premier, but will
Ankara agree to that? We shall see it in days ahead.
In the meantime, thanks to the mental fatigue suffered by Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian - no rational person would have told a crowd
that the current generation of Armenians "saved" Nagorno-Karabakh [an
Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenia since 1990s] and "saving"
Agrı [a Turkish province that includes the mount Ararat considered
sacred by Armenians] was left to next generations - Erdogan has now
started expecting a "formal apology" from Armenia. "Otherwise, they
will have to face the consequences..."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Hurriyet Daily News
July 28, 2011
Turkey
Yusuf Kanlı - [email protected]
Since the absolute ruler decided so, all the economists of the country
joined in hailing the strong Turkish economy and ruling out any fallout
of a new global economic-financial crisis on the Turkish economy. No
one of course would wish Turkey suffers from a crisis, but perhaps
it might be wiser to consider some measures further than an assertion
that this time the crisis will not even pass Turkey tangentially.
Anyhow, since the absolute ruler says there is no crisis and Turkey
will not be affected from a new global crisis even tangentially,
let's look at another crisis which has been one of the factors feeding
growing conservatism in the country for some time; the Israel-Turkey
standoff over Turkey's demand for an Israeli apology for last summer's
attack on Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship participating in a Gaza-bound
international aid flotilla, in which Israeli soldiers killed eight
Turkish nationals and a Turkish-American.
Particularly since last Sunday the Israeli inner-cabinet, or the
so-called "group of eight" met several times on the issue and
according to Israeli sources has finally decided five to three to
make an "apology" and pay compensation to the relatives of the victims.
Israel, however, is still unable to deliver the apology much-demanded
by Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, because of its
worries in regards to the "legal responsibility" of the soldiers -
to be more precise, officers - involved in the deadly high sea piracy
on Mavi Marmara. If Israel does not apologize, Turkey's "plan B" in
this year-long standoff includes allowing relatives of victims of the
Israeli's attack on the Turkish ship to seek justice at international
court. Yet, there is no guarantee that after a formal apology of
any sort by the Israeli state the issue will not be referred by the
relatives of the victims to international jurisprudence.
According to Israeli sources, though the apology decision was
made several days ago, the international jurisprudence concerns
have so far marred Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, walking that
unprecedented road. Yes, in whatever form it might come, it would
be the first-ever for the state of Israel to apologize to another
country, or individuals, for a military operation undertaken by
its armed forces, and to pay - even though through a foundation -
compensation of any sort. It will of course be painful for Israel,
as much as it would be a revolutionary move.
Israeli apology may come as early as today, or tomorrow, if Erdogan
does not deliver yet another explosive remark. Erdogan, talking to
a gathering of Palestinian ambassadors had upped Turkey's demands
for normalization of relations with Israel, introducing "ending the
Gaza blockade" condition to the apology and compensation conditions
declared earlier. Israel has so far preferred to totally ignore that
new third condition spelled out by the Turkish premier, but will
Ankara agree to that? We shall see it in days ahead.
In the meantime, thanks to the mental fatigue suffered by Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian - no rational person would have told a crowd
that the current generation of Armenians "saved" Nagorno-Karabakh [an
Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenia since 1990s] and "saving"
Agrı [a Turkish province that includes the mount Ararat considered
sacred by Armenians] was left to next generations - Erdogan has now
started expecting a "formal apology" from Armenia. "Otherwise, they
will have to face the consequences..."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress