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TURKEY-ISRAELI FALLOUT THREATENS WIDER DAMAGE, SAY ANALYSTS
Al-Arabiya
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/09/02/165155.html
Sept 2 2011
UAE
Turkey's spectacular fallout with Israel in the aftermath of last
year's flotilla raid could damage the key NATO member's ties with
the US and leaves the Jewish state even more isolated, say analysts.
Almost since the creation of Israel more than six decades ago,
Turkey has been seen as its firmest friend in the Muslim world,
the pair not only forging strong diplomatic and trade ties but also
relations between their militaries.
But with Friday's announcement by Ankara that it was not only expelling
Israel's ambassador but also severing military ties, their relations
are now at an all-time low that observers say will have far wider
ramifications.
Turkey had been the first predominantly Muslim country to recognize
the state of Israel, in 1949.
While Prime Minister Reccep Tayep Erdogan's hard line towards Israel
since the deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last year has
been popular among Turkish voters, some observers say Ankara will
end up paying a heavy price by upsetting a much more powerful ally,
the United States.
"People see Turkish-Israeli relations as bilateral but they are in fact
trilateral. We are all aware of the Israeli influence in US politics,"
said Sabri Sayari of Istanbul's private Sabanci University.
"If it goes this way, the deteriorating Turkish-Israeli ties will
negatively affect Turkey's relations with the US," he said.
In particular, Sayari predicted that Turkey could find itself on the
receiving end of negative resolutions in the US Congress like the
adoption of a bill branding the World War I massacres of Armenians
as genocide.
Last year a US Congressional panel voted to brand the 1915 mass
killings of Armenians by the Turks as genocide, much to the fury
of the Turkish government although that vote has to date not been
endorsed by the Senate.
"Negative resolutions could now come out of Congress like on the
Armenian issue," said Sayari. "There is quite a strong pro-Israeli
viewpoint in Congress. The White House is doing its best (to block
such a vote) but it is up to the Senate and this will certainly have
a negative impact there."
Erdogan has long displayed a more confrontational attitude towards
Israel, famously walking off stage after an angry exchange with then
Israeli President, Shimon Peres, at the 2009 World Economic Forum in
Davos when he accused the Jewish state of a master in killing people.
Up until recently Erdogan's stance has had little impact on the
powerful military, many of whose leaders have strained ties with the
prime minister's Islamist rooted government.
But Friday's announcement illustrated how what was seen by many in
the military as political posturing is now having an impact.
"The government policy regarding relations with Israel is transforming
into a state policy," said Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East
Technical University, adding that it was "a dangerous situation".
Other analysts however said that Israel would be the real loser of
the breakdown in ties and it could ill afford to fall out with a rare
friend in the Muslim state at a time of tumult in the Arab world.
Egypt's long-term leader Hosni Mubarak was seen as the most pro-Israeli
of all the Arab leaders but he is now on trial over the excesses of
his security forces in the last days before his toppling in February.
Jordan is the only other country in the neighborhood to have diplomatic
ties with Israel and even its regime has been jolted by protests.
"Turkey has given plenty of chances to Israel but Israel has not
understood Turkey's good faith," said Osman Bahadir Dincer of the
Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization.
"The elitist policies will only help Israel isolate itself in the
region."
Apart from the diplomatic and military freezes, President Abdullah
Gul also said on Friday that Turkey might consider "other measures"
in the future, without elaborating.
Opposition parties lashed out at the government, saying it was
further evidence of a diplomatic malaise at a time of deepening
tension with Syria.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) said that the government's moves
were "merely symbolic" and represented "a psychological decision."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Al-Arabiya
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/09/02/165155.html
Sept 2 2011
UAE
Turkey's spectacular fallout with Israel in the aftermath of last
year's flotilla raid could damage the key NATO member's ties with
the US and leaves the Jewish state even more isolated, say analysts.
Almost since the creation of Israel more than six decades ago,
Turkey has been seen as its firmest friend in the Muslim world,
the pair not only forging strong diplomatic and trade ties but also
relations between their militaries.
But with Friday's announcement by Ankara that it was not only expelling
Israel's ambassador but also severing military ties, their relations
are now at an all-time low that observers say will have far wider
ramifications.
Turkey had been the first predominantly Muslim country to recognize
the state of Israel, in 1949.
While Prime Minister Reccep Tayep Erdogan's hard line towards Israel
since the deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last year has
been popular among Turkish voters, some observers say Ankara will
end up paying a heavy price by upsetting a much more powerful ally,
the United States.
"People see Turkish-Israeli relations as bilateral but they are in fact
trilateral. We are all aware of the Israeli influence in US politics,"
said Sabri Sayari of Istanbul's private Sabanci University.
"If it goes this way, the deteriorating Turkish-Israeli ties will
negatively affect Turkey's relations with the US," he said.
In particular, Sayari predicted that Turkey could find itself on the
receiving end of negative resolutions in the US Congress like the
adoption of a bill branding the World War I massacres of Armenians
as genocide.
Last year a US Congressional panel voted to brand the 1915 mass
killings of Armenians by the Turks as genocide, much to the fury
of the Turkish government although that vote has to date not been
endorsed by the Senate.
"Negative resolutions could now come out of Congress like on the
Armenian issue," said Sayari. "There is quite a strong pro-Israeli
viewpoint in Congress. The White House is doing its best (to block
such a vote) but it is up to the Senate and this will certainly have
a negative impact there."
Erdogan has long displayed a more confrontational attitude towards
Israel, famously walking off stage after an angry exchange with then
Israeli President, Shimon Peres, at the 2009 World Economic Forum in
Davos when he accused the Jewish state of a master in killing people.
Up until recently Erdogan's stance has had little impact on the
powerful military, many of whose leaders have strained ties with the
prime minister's Islamist rooted government.
But Friday's announcement illustrated how what was seen by many in
the military as political posturing is now having an impact.
"The government policy regarding relations with Israel is transforming
into a state policy," said Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East
Technical University, adding that it was "a dangerous situation".
Other analysts however said that Israel would be the real loser of
the breakdown in ties and it could ill afford to fall out with a rare
friend in the Muslim state at a time of tumult in the Arab world.
Egypt's long-term leader Hosni Mubarak was seen as the most pro-Israeli
of all the Arab leaders but he is now on trial over the excesses of
his security forces in the last days before his toppling in February.
Jordan is the only other country in the neighborhood to have diplomatic
ties with Israel and even its regime has been jolted by protests.
"Turkey has given plenty of chances to Israel but Israel has not
understood Turkey's good faith," said Osman Bahadir Dincer of the
Ankara-based International Strategic Research Organization.
"The elitist policies will only help Israel isolate itself in the
region."
Apart from the diplomatic and military freezes, President Abdullah
Gul also said on Friday that Turkey might consider "other measures"
in the future, without elaborating.
Opposition parties lashed out at the government, saying it was
further evidence of a diplomatic malaise at a time of deepening
tension with Syria.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) said that the government's moves
were "merely symbolic" and represented "a psychological decision."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress