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Turkey-Israel: What's next?
05/09/2011
Deterioration of ties poses a heightened risk for the region, analysts say.
By Alakbar Raufoglu for Southeast European Times -- 05/09/11
The cruise liner Mavi Marmara arrives in Istanbul on December 26th,
2010. [Reuters]
Just hours after a UN report on last year's Gaza flotilla incident was
published on Friday (September 2nd), Turkey announced it would expel
Israel's ambassador to Ankara and suspended all military agreements
with its former ally.
Now, relations between the two countries are "even worse than they
were right after the Mavi Marmara event", says Salih Kapusuz, deputy
chairman of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), responsible
for public relations.
"Our position was clear from the very beginning. Whatever the outcome
we're ready for it," Kapusuz said. "The whole world knows, as does
Israel, that whatever the justification this wouldn't go unanswered."
Nine Turkish activists died on May 31st, 2010, after Israeli commandos
boarded the aid ship Mavi Marmara and were met with resistance.
Friday's report by the UN found that although the action was justified
under international law, Israel had used excessive force.
Ankara has demanded an official apology and reparations to the
families of the victims, but Israel has so far declined.
"Israel regrets any loss of life or injuries during the incident,"
says Arthur Lenk, director of the Israeli foreign ministry's
Department of International Law and a staff member on the UN panel. He
said his country "accepts the Panel's report and hopes Turkey will
work with it on restoring their ties and improve relations in the
mutual interest of both countries".
"Relations with Turkey have been, and remain, very important to
Israel," he said. "Accordingly, Israel has made significant efforts to
reach a bilateral agreement that would enable both countries to put
the flotilla incident behind them and to improve relations."
"Now that the UN Secretary General's report is published, we hope that
a compromise in such a spirit will be achieved," he added.
Alon Liel, former Israeli ambassador to Turkey, says over the past six
months "apologising or not apologising" was the main issue in
Israeli-Turkish relations.
"Israel decided not to apologise over one year ago and will have to
live now with the results of its refusal -- a Turkish dramatic
downgrading of the Turkish-Israeli diplomatic link to the rank of a
second secretary, the lowest diplomatic rank in the Israeli diplomatic
service."
"The damage to the Israeli-Turkish bilateral link is obvious and
unavoidable," he adds.
For Hikmet Cetin, Turkey's former foreign affairs minister, "it is
unfortunate that the Gaza incident is being driven to [such] a
dangerous level."
"In the history of our countries there has never been such a problem.
This is the wrong path for both Israel and Turkey," he argues.
"Diplomacy needs patience and time. Only in this way can there be a
solution."
However, Cenk Sidar, managing director of Washington-based Sidar
Global Advisors, believes there is no room for Turkey to make
concessions.
"The ball had been in Israel's court, and it will stay there for a
while," he says. At the same time, he added, "further deterioration of
Israeli-Turkish relations is an enormous risk for the region at a time
of heightened and wide-spread unrest."
The current state of affairs has left leaders searching for a way out
of the impasse.
Cetin says a "sharp turn" is needed with the support of international
and local society.
"It also can come on a cultural level, even from football diplomacy,"
he mentions, pointing to the upcoming UEFA Champions League match that
might be played in Istanbul between Besiktas (Turkey) and Maccabi
Tel-Aviv (Israel), on September 15th.
Although it is unclear whether the Israeli team will come to Turkey,
officials in Ankara pledge to show maximum hospitality.
"Politics and sports are separate," Minister of Youth and Sports Suat
Kilic says. "We view this match from the perspective of sports. The
Turkish people will show hospitality to anyone who comes for
international contests to our country."
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2011/09/05/feature-01
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
05/09/2011
Deterioration of ties poses a heightened risk for the region, analysts say.
By Alakbar Raufoglu for Southeast European Times -- 05/09/11
The cruise liner Mavi Marmara arrives in Istanbul on December 26th,
2010. [Reuters]
Just hours after a UN report on last year's Gaza flotilla incident was
published on Friday (September 2nd), Turkey announced it would expel
Israel's ambassador to Ankara and suspended all military agreements
with its former ally.
Now, relations between the two countries are "even worse than they
were right after the Mavi Marmara event", says Salih Kapusuz, deputy
chairman of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), responsible
for public relations.
"Our position was clear from the very beginning. Whatever the outcome
we're ready for it," Kapusuz said. "The whole world knows, as does
Israel, that whatever the justification this wouldn't go unanswered."
Nine Turkish activists died on May 31st, 2010, after Israeli commandos
boarded the aid ship Mavi Marmara and were met with resistance.
Friday's report by the UN found that although the action was justified
under international law, Israel had used excessive force.
Ankara has demanded an official apology and reparations to the
families of the victims, but Israel has so far declined.
"Israel regrets any loss of life or injuries during the incident,"
says Arthur Lenk, director of the Israeli foreign ministry's
Department of International Law and a staff member on the UN panel. He
said his country "accepts the Panel's report and hopes Turkey will
work with it on restoring their ties and improve relations in the
mutual interest of both countries".
"Relations with Turkey have been, and remain, very important to
Israel," he said. "Accordingly, Israel has made significant efforts to
reach a bilateral agreement that would enable both countries to put
the flotilla incident behind them and to improve relations."
"Now that the UN Secretary General's report is published, we hope that
a compromise in such a spirit will be achieved," he added.
Alon Liel, former Israeli ambassador to Turkey, says over the past six
months "apologising or not apologising" was the main issue in
Israeli-Turkish relations.
"Israel decided not to apologise over one year ago and will have to
live now with the results of its refusal -- a Turkish dramatic
downgrading of the Turkish-Israeli diplomatic link to the rank of a
second secretary, the lowest diplomatic rank in the Israeli diplomatic
service."
"The damage to the Israeli-Turkish bilateral link is obvious and
unavoidable," he adds.
For Hikmet Cetin, Turkey's former foreign affairs minister, "it is
unfortunate that the Gaza incident is being driven to [such] a
dangerous level."
"In the history of our countries there has never been such a problem.
This is the wrong path for both Israel and Turkey," he argues.
"Diplomacy needs patience and time. Only in this way can there be a
solution."
However, Cenk Sidar, managing director of Washington-based Sidar
Global Advisors, believes there is no room for Turkey to make
concessions.
"The ball had been in Israel's court, and it will stay there for a
while," he says. At the same time, he added, "further deterioration of
Israeli-Turkish relations is an enormous risk for the region at a time
of heightened and wide-spread unrest."
The current state of affairs has left leaders searching for a way out
of the impasse.
Cetin says a "sharp turn" is needed with the support of international
and local society.
"It also can come on a cultural level, even from football diplomacy,"
he mentions, pointing to the upcoming UEFA Champions League match that
might be played in Istanbul between Besiktas (Turkey) and Maccabi
Tel-Aviv (Israel), on September 15th.
Although it is unclear whether the Israeli team will come to Turkey,
officials in Ankara pledge to show maximum hospitality.
"Politics and sports are separate," Minister of Youth and Sports Suat
Kilic says. "We view this match from the perspective of sports. The
Turkish people will show hospitality to anyone who comes for
international contests to our country."
http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2011/09/05/feature-01
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress