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Radikal, Turkey
Sept 10 2011
Israel to play sanctions card too
[translated from Turkish
Israel is retaliating in response to Turkey's sanctions. It is alleged
that these include "genocide" lobbying in the United States and aiding
the PKK.
Planning to retaliate against the five-item list is sanctions
announced by the Turkish Foreign Ministry in response to the UN's Mavi
Marmara report, Israel has rolled up its sleeves to answer in kind.
Israel's "hawkish" Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is alleged to
have accelerated work on sanctions against Turkey rather than find
"creative means of apologizing." According to Israel's Yedioth
Ahronoth newspaper, Israel's Foreign Ministry has formed a "diplomatic
and security" tool kit to be used against the Turks.
It is alleged that Israel's list of sanctions against Turkey includes
warning former Israeli soldiers about travel to Turkey, not allowing
Israelis to use transfer flights via Turkey, developing ties with
Armenia, which Turkey has problems with, supporting Armenia in the Mt
Ararat dispute with Turkey, conducting lobby activities in the United
States regarding the Armenian genocide allegations, holding meetings
in Europe with leading PKK figures and possibly cooperating with them
in every area. There is also talk of giving the PKK military aid such
as arms and training. In the news it was stated that Israel's Foreign
Minister Lieberman is going to meet the leaders of the Armenian lobby
during his October trip to the United States and that he is expected
to propose cooperating against Turkey in Congress.
Diplomatic Campaign
Yedioth Ahronoth wrote also that there was a "diplomatic campaign" in
Lieberman's "tool kit" and that this included giving instructions to
Israel's representatives throughout the world "to participate in any
struggle with any Turkish endeavours against minorities and to pass on
information." The newspaper also quoted Lieberman saying: "We shall
make Erdogan pay a price that proves it is not in his interest to mess
with Israel. Turkey would be well advised to show us respect and
courtesy."
Foreign Ministry: Lunatic Ravings
The Yedioth Ahronoth news was treated at the Foreign Ministry as
"lunatic ravings." Stating that the news contained no comment
attributed to Lieberman, diplomatic sources said: "When one country is
planning to impose sanctions on another country it is ridiculous and
idiotic to suggest cooperation with an organization they themselves
recognize as terrorists. Not even Lieberman would consider such a
thing. If Israel does take such a step it will hear outcry not just
from Turkey but the entire world." Pointing out that Israel's Prime
Minister Binyamin Netenyahu had told those people within his
government that want to punish Turkey, "Let us decide not on sanctions
but on steps to normalize relations with Turkey" one official said it
was still very possible that the Israeli and Jewish lobby groups in
the United States would cooperate with the Armenian lobby and cause
problems for Turkey.
Meetings Being Held Today
It is being said that senior Israeli Foreign Ministry officials got
together the other day and made preparations for a meeting with
Lieberman today. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a statement he
gave to Al-Jazeera TV the other day said the Turkish navy would escort
vessels taking Turkish humanitarian aid to Gaza saying, "This
humanitarian relief of ours will no longer come under attack as
happened to the Mavi Marmara." (Tel-Aviv, Ankara/YNET-Radikal)
"Hawkish Minster Opposed To Turkey"
Avigdor Lieberman is the leader of the extreme right-wing Our Home is
Israel Party. In the 2009 elections he took his place in Netenyahu's
cabinet as foreign minister and deputy prime minister. During his
tenure at the Foreign Minister he harshly criticized Turkey's Israel
policy. In an article Haaretz it was alleged that Lieberman, who once
likened Turkey to pre-revolutionary Iran, was the person behind the
low seat crisis that occurred during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry
between Assistant Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Turkey's
Ambassador Oguz Celikkol. Lieberman had also called the scenes in the
Turkish TV series "Separation" -aired on TRT in 2009 and showing the
events that took place during the "Cast Lead" operation in Gaza -as
"provocation." Lieberman's comments implying the use of nuclear
weapons against Gaza during the Cast Lead Operation were severely
criticized by world public opinion.
No Military Flights Prevention
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Selcuk Unal stated that the measures
against Israel announced by Turkey were clear enough and that there
were no news measures relating to military flights. "There were
measures taken previously here, among them were military flights. No
new measures have been taken," he said. During a scheduled press
conference at the ministry yesterday Unal said the old measures
relating to Israel's military flights were still in effect and that
there were no new measures. Turkey had announced in June last year
that its airspace was closed to Israeli military flights. When asked
whether or not the comment by retired Amnassador Ozdem Sanberk, a
member of the UN Investigation Panel, that "Gaza was a national issue
like Cyprus" would be seen as foreign policy Unal replied: "By its
very nature Palestine, and by extension the Gaza issue, are topics
that Turkey is following closely and cares a lot about."
(Ankara/Radikal)
Soldier Soccer Players Cannot Come Over
The Israeli military has forbidden its Maccabi Tel Aviv players, who
are serving soldiers, to travel to Turkey because of the current
strain in relations with Turkey. According to news in Haaretz, it has
been announced that two of Maccabi Tel Aviv's players Omer Vered and
Roi Kahat are not allowed to travel to Turkey. It was also stated that
four other players -Dor Miha, Moshe Lugasi, Uri Cohen and goalkeeper
Yossi Ginzburg were still waiting for confirmed orders from their
commanders with respect to the match scheduled to be played in
Istanbul next Thursday. However, it is being said that the
soldier-soccer players are not hopeful that they will be able to join
the team. One Maccabi official said, "We are waiting for a definite
reply from the Israeli military and we believe we are going to be
given the permission slips allowing our players to play with the
team." (Tel Aviv/Anatolia News Agency)
Sept 10 2011
Israel to play sanctions card too
[translated from Turkish
Israel is retaliating in response to Turkey's sanctions. It is alleged
that these include "genocide" lobbying in the United States and aiding
the PKK.
Planning to retaliate against the five-item list is sanctions
announced by the Turkish Foreign Ministry in response to the UN's Mavi
Marmara report, Israel has rolled up its sleeves to answer in kind.
Israel's "hawkish" Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is alleged to
have accelerated work on sanctions against Turkey rather than find
"creative means of apologizing." According to Israel's Yedioth
Ahronoth newspaper, Israel's Foreign Ministry has formed a "diplomatic
and security" tool kit to be used against the Turks.
It is alleged that Israel's list of sanctions against Turkey includes
warning former Israeli soldiers about travel to Turkey, not allowing
Israelis to use transfer flights via Turkey, developing ties with
Armenia, which Turkey has problems with, supporting Armenia in the Mt
Ararat dispute with Turkey, conducting lobby activities in the United
States regarding the Armenian genocide allegations, holding meetings
in Europe with leading PKK figures and possibly cooperating with them
in every area. There is also talk of giving the PKK military aid such
as arms and training. In the news it was stated that Israel's Foreign
Minister Lieberman is going to meet the leaders of the Armenian lobby
during his October trip to the United States and that he is expected
to propose cooperating against Turkey in Congress.
Diplomatic Campaign
Yedioth Ahronoth wrote also that there was a "diplomatic campaign" in
Lieberman's "tool kit" and that this included giving instructions to
Israel's representatives throughout the world "to participate in any
struggle with any Turkish endeavours against minorities and to pass on
information." The newspaper also quoted Lieberman saying: "We shall
make Erdogan pay a price that proves it is not in his interest to mess
with Israel. Turkey would be well advised to show us respect and
courtesy."
Foreign Ministry: Lunatic Ravings
The Yedioth Ahronoth news was treated at the Foreign Ministry as
"lunatic ravings." Stating that the news contained no comment
attributed to Lieberman, diplomatic sources said: "When one country is
planning to impose sanctions on another country it is ridiculous and
idiotic to suggest cooperation with an organization they themselves
recognize as terrorists. Not even Lieberman would consider such a
thing. If Israel does take such a step it will hear outcry not just
from Turkey but the entire world." Pointing out that Israel's Prime
Minister Binyamin Netenyahu had told those people within his
government that want to punish Turkey, "Let us decide not on sanctions
but on steps to normalize relations with Turkey" one official said it
was still very possible that the Israeli and Jewish lobby groups in
the United States would cooperate with the Armenian lobby and cause
problems for Turkey.
Meetings Being Held Today
It is being said that senior Israeli Foreign Ministry officials got
together the other day and made preparations for a meeting with
Lieberman today. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a statement he
gave to Al-Jazeera TV the other day said the Turkish navy would escort
vessels taking Turkish humanitarian aid to Gaza saying, "This
humanitarian relief of ours will no longer come under attack as
happened to the Mavi Marmara." (Tel-Aviv, Ankara/YNET-Radikal)
"Hawkish Minster Opposed To Turkey"
Avigdor Lieberman is the leader of the extreme right-wing Our Home is
Israel Party. In the 2009 elections he took his place in Netenyahu's
cabinet as foreign minister and deputy prime minister. During his
tenure at the Foreign Minister he harshly criticized Turkey's Israel
policy. In an article Haaretz it was alleged that Lieberman, who once
likened Turkey to pre-revolutionary Iran, was the person behind the
low seat crisis that occurred during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry
between Assistant Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Turkey's
Ambassador Oguz Celikkol. Lieberman had also called the scenes in the
Turkish TV series "Separation" -aired on TRT in 2009 and showing the
events that took place during the "Cast Lead" operation in Gaza -as
"provocation." Lieberman's comments implying the use of nuclear
weapons against Gaza during the Cast Lead Operation were severely
criticized by world public opinion.
No Military Flights Prevention
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Selcuk Unal stated that the measures
against Israel announced by Turkey were clear enough and that there
were no news measures relating to military flights. "There were
measures taken previously here, among them were military flights. No
new measures have been taken," he said. During a scheduled press
conference at the ministry yesterday Unal said the old measures
relating to Israel's military flights were still in effect and that
there were no new measures. Turkey had announced in June last year
that its airspace was closed to Israeli military flights. When asked
whether or not the comment by retired Amnassador Ozdem Sanberk, a
member of the UN Investigation Panel, that "Gaza was a national issue
like Cyprus" would be seen as foreign policy Unal replied: "By its
very nature Palestine, and by extension the Gaza issue, are topics
that Turkey is following closely and cares a lot about."
(Ankara/Radikal)
Soldier Soccer Players Cannot Come Over
The Israeli military has forbidden its Maccabi Tel Aviv players, who
are serving soldiers, to travel to Turkey because of the current
strain in relations with Turkey. According to news in Haaretz, it has
been announced that two of Maccabi Tel Aviv's players Omer Vered and
Roi Kahat are not allowed to travel to Turkey. It was also stated that
four other players -Dor Miha, Moshe Lugasi, Uri Cohen and goalkeeper
Yossi Ginzburg were still waiting for confirmed orders from their
commanders with respect to the match scheduled to be played in
Istanbul next Thursday. However, it is being said that the
soldier-soccer players are not hopeful that they will be able to join
the team. One Maccabi official said, "We are waiting for a definite
reply from the Israeli military and we believe we are going to be
given the permission slips allowing our players to play with the
team." (Tel Aviv/Anatolia News Agency)