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ONE THREAT AFTER ANOTHER - WHAT IS ERDOGAN UP TO?
By Carsten Hoffmann
Monsters and Critics.com
Sept 9 2011
Istanbul - What has got into Recep Tayyip Erdogan?
'Zero problems with the neighbours' is the declared policy aim of
his Islamic-conservative Turkish government, and up till a year
ago this appeared to have been an achievable aim thanks to a bit of
political savvy.
But since then Ankara has become engulfed by problems, and Erdogan's
response seems to have been to issue threats.
He demanded Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan publicly apologise
after Sargsyan had made a reference to 'western Armenia,' a region
today belonging to Turkey. Just a year ago the two sides had been
talking about opening their joint border.
And German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also supposed to be asking for
forgiveness, Erdogan feels, because she had praised the Greek Cypriots
while demanding more movement from the Turkish side in resolving the
issue of the division of Cyprus.
In the dispute over the Cypriots' oil production in the Mediterranean
Sea, Turkey's minister for Europe, Egemen Bagis, a few days ago said
all options were on the table, adding ominously: 'And for this we
have a navy.'
And now, Israel. For decades Turkey had maintained the closest of
relations, above all with the Israeli military and weapons industry,
but also with the secret service. Israeli pilots were even permitted
to carry out air training flights in the skies above Turkey.
Ankara is blaming Israel for the deterioration in the relationship.
The decline started four years ago, when in September 2007 Israeli
jets flew over Turkish territory to attack a target in Syria suspected
of being a construction site for a nuclear reactor.
However, one of the jets lost a fuel tank which crashed onto Turkish
soil, with the incident triggering uproar in Turkey. Israel had been
caught abusing its permission to conduct air training flights in
order to carry out a military attack.
Israeli President Shimon Peres quickly travelled to Turkey to try
to smooth the matter over, praising Turkey as being an 'eagle with
two wings.'
But the break came in the following year, when Erdogan, in his role
as mediator between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights dispute,
felt he was left exposed by Jerusalem.
At a point when he was putting all his weight behind a peace agreement,
Israel in late 2008 attacked the Gaza Strip, rendering any further
negotiations impossible.
'When it's all about killing, then you are very well versed in
killing,' Erdogan angrily said at Davos in 2009 in a very public
rebuke to the Israelis. Peres later would comment, 'friends might
sometimes disagree.'
But the damage had been done. Erdogan in particular was no longer
ready to grant Israel a special political status, the way many Western
allies did. Erdogan compared Israel to a 'spoilt son.'
Ankara began seeking political confrontation with Israel.
While a UN commission criticized Israel for its use of excessive force
on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmar bring aid to Gaza, when it killed
nine Turkish activists, it also said the Israelis' sea blockade of
the Gaza and the search of ships were legal in order to intercept
possible arms shipments.
The commission report came at an awkward point for Erdogan, with Turkey
seeking more influence and aiming to become a leading regional power
amid the changes taking place in the Arab world.
But Erdogan had to watch how Italy and France forged ahead in Libya,
at a point when he was still talking on the phone with Moamer Gaddafi.
In Syria, Erdogan kept banking - possibly too long - on the readiness
of an increasingly brutal regime to agree to reforms.
And now in the dispute over Gaza, Israel has run circles diplomatically
around him and his government.
Now Erdogan is escalating the dispute further. In remarks to Al
Jazeera, the Ankara leader said his country would protect Turkish ships
bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza against further Israeli attacks.
Erdogan did not mention what repercussions could result, even though
he appears to be giving the appearance that in the event, he is ready
for a military confrontation.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1662068.php/One-threat-after-another-what-is-Erdogan-up-to
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By Carsten Hoffmann
Monsters and Critics.com
Sept 9 2011
Istanbul - What has got into Recep Tayyip Erdogan?
'Zero problems with the neighbours' is the declared policy aim of
his Islamic-conservative Turkish government, and up till a year
ago this appeared to have been an achievable aim thanks to a bit of
political savvy.
But since then Ankara has become engulfed by problems, and Erdogan's
response seems to have been to issue threats.
He demanded Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan publicly apologise
after Sargsyan had made a reference to 'western Armenia,' a region
today belonging to Turkey. Just a year ago the two sides had been
talking about opening their joint border.
And German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also supposed to be asking for
forgiveness, Erdogan feels, because she had praised the Greek Cypriots
while demanding more movement from the Turkish side in resolving the
issue of the division of Cyprus.
In the dispute over the Cypriots' oil production in the Mediterranean
Sea, Turkey's minister for Europe, Egemen Bagis, a few days ago said
all options were on the table, adding ominously: 'And for this we
have a navy.'
And now, Israel. For decades Turkey had maintained the closest of
relations, above all with the Israeli military and weapons industry,
but also with the secret service. Israeli pilots were even permitted
to carry out air training flights in the skies above Turkey.
Ankara is blaming Israel for the deterioration in the relationship.
The decline started four years ago, when in September 2007 Israeli
jets flew over Turkish territory to attack a target in Syria suspected
of being a construction site for a nuclear reactor.
However, one of the jets lost a fuel tank which crashed onto Turkish
soil, with the incident triggering uproar in Turkey. Israel had been
caught abusing its permission to conduct air training flights in
order to carry out a military attack.
Israeli President Shimon Peres quickly travelled to Turkey to try
to smooth the matter over, praising Turkey as being an 'eagle with
two wings.'
But the break came in the following year, when Erdogan, in his role
as mediator between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights dispute,
felt he was left exposed by Jerusalem.
At a point when he was putting all his weight behind a peace agreement,
Israel in late 2008 attacked the Gaza Strip, rendering any further
negotiations impossible.
'When it's all about killing, then you are very well versed in
killing,' Erdogan angrily said at Davos in 2009 in a very public
rebuke to the Israelis. Peres later would comment, 'friends might
sometimes disagree.'
But the damage had been done. Erdogan in particular was no longer
ready to grant Israel a special political status, the way many Western
allies did. Erdogan compared Israel to a 'spoilt son.'
Ankara began seeking political confrontation with Israel.
While a UN commission criticized Israel for its use of excessive force
on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmar bring aid to Gaza, when it killed
nine Turkish activists, it also said the Israelis' sea blockade of
the Gaza and the search of ships were legal in order to intercept
possible arms shipments.
The commission report came at an awkward point for Erdogan, with Turkey
seeking more influence and aiming to become a leading regional power
amid the changes taking place in the Arab world.
But Erdogan had to watch how Italy and France forged ahead in Libya,
at a point when he was still talking on the phone with Moamer Gaddafi.
In Syria, Erdogan kept banking - possibly too long - on the readiness
of an increasingly brutal regime to agree to reforms.
And now in the dispute over Gaza, Israel has run circles diplomatically
around him and his government.
Now Erdogan is escalating the dispute further. In remarks to Al
Jazeera, the Ankara leader said his country would protect Turkish ships
bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza against further Israeli attacks.
Erdogan did not mention what repercussions could result, even though
he appears to be giving the appearance that in the event, he is ready
for a military confrontation.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1662068.php/One-threat-after-another-what-is-Erdogan-up-to
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress