Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Turkish official slams mooted Israeli reprisals

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Turkish official slams mooted Israeli reprisals

    Agence France Presse
    Sept 10 2011


    Turkish official slams mooted Israeli reprisals
    (AFP) -


    ANKARA - Turkish parliament speaker Cemil Cicek on Saturday blasted
    ideas attributed to hawkish Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman
    for hitting back at Ankara in the row between the two countries.

    Israel's Yediot Aharonot daily reported Friday that Lieberman had
    suggested supporting recognition by the US Senate of Armenian genocide
    by Turkey, backing the Kurdish separatist PKK and launching a
    diplomatic offensive against Ankara.

    "It's very troubling that someone with the rank of minister should
    make such irresponsible remarks," Cicek said on Turkish television.

    He attacked the proposals as "blackmail" and said that if they were
    put into effect the crisis between Israel and Turkey would become
    "more complex and more inextricable".

    On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said
    that the cabinet had considered various responses to a further
    worsening of already stormy relations with Turkey but had not taken
    action.

    A statement said that Netanyahu and his ministers discussed "various
    theoretical options in the event of escalation".

    "The decision on this will be taken only if and when necessary," it
    said. "Israel acts and will act responsibly and hopes that Turkey will
    also act in the same way," it said.

    Israel and Turkey have been locked in a bitter dispute since May 2010
    when Israeli naval commandos stormed the international Freedom
    Flotilla, a convoy of six ships trying to reach Gaza in defiance of an
    Israeli blockade, killing nine Turkish nationals.

    The crisis deepened over the past week with Turkey expelling the
    Israeli ambassador and axing military ties and defence trade.

Working...
X