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PM: TURKEY TO IMPOSE MORE SANCTIONS ON ISRAEL, BOOST PRESENCE IN EAST MED
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-255903-pm-turkey-to-impose-more-sanctions-on-israel-boost-presence-in-east-med.html
Sept 6 2011
Turkey
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey is
completely suspending military and commercial ties with Israel
and will impose further sanctions on the Jewish state following its
refusal to apologize for the bloody raid of an aid ship in the eastern
Mediterranean last year that resulted in the deaths of eight Turks
and one Turkish-American.
"Israel has always acted like a spoiled child in the face of all
UN decisions that concern it. It assumes that it can continue to
act like a spoiled child and will get away with it," Erdogan told
reporters on Tuesday.
Turkey downgraded its relations with Israel following a raid by the
latter on the Mavi Marmara, a ship that was part of an international
aid flotilla that was attempting to breach an Israeli blockade of
Gaza. Turkey said that relations between the two countries would only
return to normal if Israel offered a formal apology for the resulting
killings and paid compensation to the families of the victims.
However, Israel refused, saying its soldiers had acted in
self-defense. Months-long diplomatic efforts to mend relations failed
to produce an agreement.
A UN panel set up to investigate the deadly raid last year
repeatedly delayed releasing its findings to allow more time for
Turkish-Israeli efforts to heal their relations. The UN released
the panel's findings last weekend, saying the Israeli soldiers used
"excessive and unreasonable" force against passengers of the Mavi
Marmara but, contrary to what Turkey has argued, it found that the
Israeli blockade of Gaza is legal.
Erdogan said the 2010 raid, which took place in international waters
in the Mediterranean, was "inhumane" and "an act of state terrorism
and savagery" and asserted that the UN panel's report "holds no value
for us."
"If the measures [we have] taken so far [against Israel] are part
of a Plan B, then there will also be a Plan C. Different steps will
be taken depending on the course of developments. ... We are totally
suspending our commercial, military and defense ties. They are being
frozen entirely," he added, without clarifying what the next round
of sanctions might include.
Officials at the Prime Ministry, however, elaborated later in the
day that commercial ties with Israel will not be affected, adding
that the commercial ties Erdogan mentioned refer to the commercial
aspect of defense relations. Turkey did not impose a trade embargo
on Israel but suspended ongoing defense projects and purchases from
Israeli defense firms.
The Turkish government last Friday announced a set of sanctions
against Israel, including the further downgrading of relations to
second secretary level -- effectively expelling senior-level Israeli
diplomats -- and measures it will take to ensure freedom of navigation
in the eastern Mediterranean after Israel made clear that it would
not apologize for the May 31, 2010 raid.
When asked to elaborate on the promised steps to ensure freedom
of navigation in the eastern Mediterranean, which observers have
indicated could mean clashes with Israel in international waters,
Erdogan replied: "The eastern Mediterranean is no stranger to us. Our
ships will be seen more frequently in those waters."
Officials from the Defense Ministry were not available for comment.
According to a headlining story in the Sabah daily on Tuesday, Turkish
naval forces are expanding their operations in the Mediterranean. The
daily claimed that the naval forces will implement the "Barbaros
Plan" to expand the "Mediterranean Shield," which it is expected will
increase naval support as the number of frigates will increase from
two to four, the number of assault ships from three to five and coast
guard vessels from one to three. The news report further indicated
that the Konya 3rd Main Jet Base Commandership and the Ä°zmir 2nd
Main Jet Base Commandership are also expected to provide support for
the Mediterranean naval forces.
The Turkish Naval Duty Group, established to support Turkey's foreign
policy and secure naval routes that Turkish commercial vessels also
use, has made its presence known in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean in
the last three months. The group -- which consists of four frigates,
one logistical support ship, three sea helicopters and special dive
teams -- passed through the Suez Canal on June 2 this year and visited
the ports of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Yemen,
Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
There are several international operations in which Turkish naval
forces participate. One is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) for which Turkish naval frigates patrol off the Lebanese
coast. In addition, as a member of NATO, Turkey sent two warships to
the Gulf of Aden on an international mission and where they have been
deployed off the coast of Somalia since 2009 in an attempt to prevent
piracy. Furthermore, five Turkish naval ships and a submarine have
been dispatched to help enforce UN and NATO rules in Libya.
Eyes turn to defense industry cooperation As Turkish-Israeli relations
increasingly sour, eyes have turned to the defense industry, one of
the most important areas of cooperation between Turkey and Israel.
Israel, as one of Turkey's most important defense industry partners,
has enjoyed an beneficial balance in trade relations as Turkey
purchases advanced defense technology from Israel and Israel buys
military boots and uniforms from Turkey.
The defense industry has become one of the most important lines of
cooperation between Turkey and Israel since their signing of a defense
industry cooperation agreement on Aug. 28, 1996. In this regard,
Turkey's Defense Ministry has been working with an Israeli company
to modernize Turkish F-4 jets.
Turkey's total exports to Israel were around $2.082 billion in 2010
and $1.382 billion over the course of the first seven months of 2011.
Turkey imported goods from Israel totaling $1.359 billion in 2010
and $1.180 billion in the first seven months of 2011.
Last year, Turkey mainly exported automotive goods, iron and steel,
isolated wire, copper wire, cobblestones, ceramic tiles, jewelry
and electrical devices to Israel. It primarily imported oil and oil
products, tanks and armored war vehicles, chemicals, plastic goods,
scrap iron and steel, organic chemicals, medical devices and medicine
from Israel.
Recent Israeli investments in Turkey include the purchase of shares
by the Ofer Group in the Turkish Oil Refineries Corp. (TupraÅ~_). The
largest bank in Israel, Hapoalim Bank, purchased 57.5 percent of
shares in BankPozitif to invest in the Turkish banking industry. It
purchased the shares from C Faktoring for $100 million. In June 2006,
Israeli carpet company Karmel invested $9 million in Turkish industry
by buying 51.1 percent of Turkish Atlas Halı (carpet).
Turkish contractors have undertaken 104 projects in Israel so far,
worth a total of $580 million. The largest Turkish investment in Israel
is in the electric power plants Zorlu Group will construct. The group
of companies has undertaken to build four power plants in Israel
thus far.
Turkey and Israel signed a tourism cooperation agreement in Jerusalem
on June 1, 1992 and Turkey became the second most-popular tourism
destination for Israelis. Turkey received 511,435 Israeli tourists
in 2007; 558,183 in 2008; 311,600 in 2009 and only 109,600 in 2010.
Today's Zaman
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-255903-pm-turkey-to-impose-more-sanctions-on-israel-boost-presence-in-east-med.html
Sept 6 2011
Turkey
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that Turkey is
completely suspending military and commercial ties with Israel
and will impose further sanctions on the Jewish state following its
refusal to apologize for the bloody raid of an aid ship in the eastern
Mediterranean last year that resulted in the deaths of eight Turks
and one Turkish-American.
"Israel has always acted like a spoiled child in the face of all
UN decisions that concern it. It assumes that it can continue to
act like a spoiled child and will get away with it," Erdogan told
reporters on Tuesday.
Turkey downgraded its relations with Israel following a raid by the
latter on the Mavi Marmara, a ship that was part of an international
aid flotilla that was attempting to breach an Israeli blockade of
Gaza. Turkey said that relations between the two countries would only
return to normal if Israel offered a formal apology for the resulting
killings and paid compensation to the families of the victims.
However, Israel refused, saying its soldiers had acted in
self-defense. Months-long diplomatic efforts to mend relations failed
to produce an agreement.
A UN panel set up to investigate the deadly raid last year
repeatedly delayed releasing its findings to allow more time for
Turkish-Israeli efforts to heal their relations. The UN released
the panel's findings last weekend, saying the Israeli soldiers used
"excessive and unreasonable" force against passengers of the Mavi
Marmara but, contrary to what Turkey has argued, it found that the
Israeli blockade of Gaza is legal.
Erdogan said the 2010 raid, which took place in international waters
in the Mediterranean, was "inhumane" and "an act of state terrorism
and savagery" and asserted that the UN panel's report "holds no value
for us."
"If the measures [we have] taken so far [against Israel] are part
of a Plan B, then there will also be a Plan C. Different steps will
be taken depending on the course of developments. ... We are totally
suspending our commercial, military and defense ties. They are being
frozen entirely," he added, without clarifying what the next round
of sanctions might include.
Officials at the Prime Ministry, however, elaborated later in the
day that commercial ties with Israel will not be affected, adding
that the commercial ties Erdogan mentioned refer to the commercial
aspect of defense relations. Turkey did not impose a trade embargo
on Israel but suspended ongoing defense projects and purchases from
Israeli defense firms.
The Turkish government last Friday announced a set of sanctions
against Israel, including the further downgrading of relations to
second secretary level -- effectively expelling senior-level Israeli
diplomats -- and measures it will take to ensure freedom of navigation
in the eastern Mediterranean after Israel made clear that it would
not apologize for the May 31, 2010 raid.
When asked to elaborate on the promised steps to ensure freedom
of navigation in the eastern Mediterranean, which observers have
indicated could mean clashes with Israel in international waters,
Erdogan replied: "The eastern Mediterranean is no stranger to us. Our
ships will be seen more frequently in those waters."
Officials from the Defense Ministry were not available for comment.
According to a headlining story in the Sabah daily on Tuesday, Turkish
naval forces are expanding their operations in the Mediterranean. The
daily claimed that the naval forces will implement the "Barbaros
Plan" to expand the "Mediterranean Shield," which it is expected will
increase naval support as the number of frigates will increase from
two to four, the number of assault ships from three to five and coast
guard vessels from one to three. The news report further indicated
that the Konya 3rd Main Jet Base Commandership and the Ä°zmir 2nd
Main Jet Base Commandership are also expected to provide support for
the Mediterranean naval forces.
The Turkish Naval Duty Group, established to support Turkey's foreign
policy and secure naval routes that Turkish commercial vessels also
use, has made its presence known in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean in
the last three months. The group -- which consists of four frigates,
one logistical support ship, three sea helicopters and special dive
teams -- passed through the Suez Canal on June 2 this year and visited
the ports of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Yemen,
Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
There are several international operations in which Turkish naval
forces participate. One is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL) for which Turkish naval frigates patrol off the Lebanese
coast. In addition, as a member of NATO, Turkey sent two warships to
the Gulf of Aden on an international mission and where they have been
deployed off the coast of Somalia since 2009 in an attempt to prevent
piracy. Furthermore, five Turkish naval ships and a submarine have
been dispatched to help enforce UN and NATO rules in Libya.
Eyes turn to defense industry cooperation As Turkish-Israeli relations
increasingly sour, eyes have turned to the defense industry, one of
the most important areas of cooperation between Turkey and Israel.
Israel, as one of Turkey's most important defense industry partners,
has enjoyed an beneficial balance in trade relations as Turkey
purchases advanced defense technology from Israel and Israel buys
military boots and uniforms from Turkey.
The defense industry has become one of the most important lines of
cooperation between Turkey and Israel since their signing of a defense
industry cooperation agreement on Aug. 28, 1996. In this regard,
Turkey's Defense Ministry has been working with an Israeli company
to modernize Turkish F-4 jets.
Turkey's total exports to Israel were around $2.082 billion in 2010
and $1.382 billion over the course of the first seven months of 2011.
Turkey imported goods from Israel totaling $1.359 billion in 2010
and $1.180 billion in the first seven months of 2011.
Last year, Turkey mainly exported automotive goods, iron and steel,
isolated wire, copper wire, cobblestones, ceramic tiles, jewelry
and electrical devices to Israel. It primarily imported oil and oil
products, tanks and armored war vehicles, chemicals, plastic goods,
scrap iron and steel, organic chemicals, medical devices and medicine
from Israel.
Recent Israeli investments in Turkey include the purchase of shares
by the Ofer Group in the Turkish Oil Refineries Corp. (TupraÅ~_). The
largest bank in Israel, Hapoalim Bank, purchased 57.5 percent of
shares in BankPozitif to invest in the Turkish banking industry. It
purchased the shares from C Faktoring for $100 million. In June 2006,
Israeli carpet company Karmel invested $9 million in Turkish industry
by buying 51.1 percent of Turkish Atlas Halı (carpet).
Turkish contractors have undertaken 104 projects in Israel so far,
worth a total of $580 million. The largest Turkish investment in Israel
is in the electric power plants Zorlu Group will construct. The group
of companies has undertaken to build four power plants in Israel
thus far.
Turkey and Israel signed a tourism cooperation agreement in Jerusalem
on June 1, 1992 and Turkey became the second most-popular tourism
destination for Israelis. Turkey received 511,435 Israeli tourists
in 2007; 558,183 in 2008; 311,600 in 2009 and only 109,600 in 2010.