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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Sept 9 2011
Erdogan's misinterpreted remarks on escorting aid vessels touch raw nerves
A warning by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Israel
reiterating his country's firmness on ensuring freedom of navigation
in the eastern Mediterranean sent shockwaves throughout the region
after it was interpreted as a prelude to a naval confrontation with
its former ally.
But officials in Ankara made clear on Friday that Erdogan's remarks
during an interview with Al Jazeera were quoted out of context. Some
of his quotes were compiled later both by Al Jazeera and Reuters in a
way that implied these quotes had followed each other, the same
officials said. "Turkish warships, in the first place, are authorized
to protect our ships that carry humanitarian aid to Gaza," Erdogan was
quoted as saying by Reuters in the interview, broadcast by Al Jazeera
with an Arabic translation.
"From now on, we will not let these ships be attacked by Israel, as
what happened with the Freedom Flotilla," Erdogan was also quoted as
saying by Reuters.
In the Turkish version of the text of the interview provided by the
Anatolia news agency, however, Erdogan, in response to a question on
ensuring the freedom of navigation in the eastern Mediterranean, says:
"At the moment, no doubt, Turkish warships are first of all liable to
protect their own ships. This is the first step. And there is
humanitarian aid which we will extend. Our humanitarian assistance
will no longer be attacked as happened in the case of the Mavi
Marmara."
A senior government official speaking to Today's Zaman on Friday said
Erdogan's remarks cannot be interpreted to mean that Turkey has been
preparing to send humanitarian aid ships to the region that will be
escorted by Turkish warships. "We have put forth a principle by saying
that we will ensure the freedom of navigation in the eastern
Mediterranean and that this field is not an Israeli playground.
As long as Israel does not interfere in the freedom of navigation, we
do not plan on sending any warships to escort humanitarian aid ships,"
the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the
issue, told Today's Zaman. "The misquoted remarks suggest that we have
been readying to provide a warship to escort each humanitarian aid
ship. This is not the case. However, Turkey will protect its citizens'
rights in the event of any interference in international waters," the
official added.
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 attempting to breach an Israeli blockade of Gaza. Turkey
said relations between the two countries would only return to normal
if Israel offered a formal apology for the resultant killings and paid
compensation to the victims' families. Israel, however, refused,
saying its soldiers had acted in self-defence. Months-long diplomatic
efforts to mend relations failed to produce an agreement.
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 31 May 2010 raid.
In Jerusalem, Erdogan's compiled remarks found a response from Deputy
Prime Minister Dan Meridor, who termed "Turkey's announcement that
Turkish warships would escort any future convoys to the Gaza Strip"
"harsh and serious" but said Israel wanted to avoid a war of words
with its former ally.
"The things Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said are harsh and serious,
but I don't think it would be right to get into any verbal
saber-rattling with him," Deputy Prime Minister Meridor told Israeli
Army Radio. "Our silence is the best response. I hope this phenomenon
will pass." Meanwhile, Israel's hawkish foreign minister is planning a
series of measures to retaliate against Turkey in the recent row over
the apology, including military aid to the terrorist Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK), a news report said on Friday.
Other planned measures are cooperation with the Armenian lobby in the
US in its efforts to win recognition for Armenian claims that 1.5
million Armenians were victims of a genocide campaign in the late
Ottoman Empire during World War I and to issue a travel warning urging
all Israeli military veterans to refrain from travelling to Turkey,
according to a report in Israel's Yedioth Ahranoth newspaper. The
travel advisory will also urge Israelis to refrain from boarding
connections in Turkey, the report said.
Yedioth Ahranoth said Lieberman had planned meetings with PKK leaders
in Europe in order to find ways to cooperate with them "in every
possible area." In these meetings, the PKK leaders may ask Israel for
military aid in the form of training and arms supplies, the report
said. Lieberman is also planning active Israeli participation in
efforts worldwide to report Turkey's "violations of human rights" in
the treatment of minorities in Turkey.
"We'll exact a price from Erdogan that will prove to him that messing
with Israel doesn't pay off. Turkey better treat us with respect and
common decency," Lieberman was quoted as saying. Whether Lieberman's
threats could ever be implemented remains questionable.
From: Baghdasarian
Sept 9 2011
Erdogan's misinterpreted remarks on escorting aid vessels touch raw nerves
A warning by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Israel
reiterating his country's firmness on ensuring freedom of navigation
in the eastern Mediterranean sent shockwaves throughout the region
after it was interpreted as a prelude to a naval confrontation with
its former ally.
But officials in Ankara made clear on Friday that Erdogan's remarks
during an interview with Al Jazeera were quoted out of context. Some
of his quotes were compiled later both by Al Jazeera and Reuters in a
way that implied these quotes had followed each other, the same
officials said. "Turkish warships, in the first place, are authorized
to protect our ships that carry humanitarian aid to Gaza," Erdogan was
quoted as saying by Reuters in the interview, broadcast by Al Jazeera
with an Arabic translation.
"From now on, we will not let these ships be attacked by Israel, as
what happened with the Freedom Flotilla," Erdogan was also quoted as
saying by Reuters.
In the Turkish version of the text of the interview provided by the
Anatolia news agency, however, Erdogan, in response to a question on
ensuring the freedom of navigation in the eastern Mediterranean, says:
"At the moment, no doubt, Turkish warships are first of all liable to
protect their own ships. This is the first step. And there is
humanitarian aid which we will extend. Our humanitarian assistance
will no longer be attacked as happened in the case of the Mavi
Marmara."
A senior government official speaking to Today's Zaman on Friday said
Erdogan's remarks cannot be interpreted to mean that Turkey has been
preparing to send humanitarian aid ships to the region that will be
escorted by Turkish warships. "We have put forth a principle by saying
that we will ensure the freedom of navigation in the eastern
Mediterranean and that this field is not an Israeli playground.
As long as Israel does not interfere in the freedom of navigation, we
do not plan on sending any warships to escort humanitarian aid ships,"
the official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the
issue, told Today's Zaman. "The misquoted remarks suggest that we have
been readying to provide a warship to escort each humanitarian aid
ship. This is not the case. However, Turkey will protect its citizens'
rights in the event of any interference in international waters," the
official added.
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 attempting to breach an Israeli blockade of Gaza. Turkey
said relations between the two countries would only return to normal
if Israel offered a formal apology for the resultant killings and paid
compensation to the victims' families. Israel, however, refused,
saying its soldiers had acted in self-defence. Months-long diplomatic
efforts to mend relations failed to produce an agreement.
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 31 May 2010 raid.
In Jerusalem, Erdogan's compiled remarks found a response from Deputy
Prime Minister Dan Meridor, who termed "Turkey's announcement that
Turkish warships would escort any future convoys to the Gaza Strip"
"harsh and serious" but said Israel wanted to avoid a war of words
with its former ally.
"The things Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said are harsh and serious,
but I don't think it would be right to get into any verbal
saber-rattling with him," Deputy Prime Minister Meridor told Israeli
Army Radio. "Our silence is the best response. I hope this phenomenon
will pass." Meanwhile, Israel's hawkish foreign minister is planning a
series of measures to retaliate against Turkey in the recent row over
the apology, including military aid to the terrorist Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK), a news report said on Friday.
Other planned measures are cooperation with the Armenian lobby in the
US in its efforts to win recognition for Armenian claims that 1.5
million Armenians were victims of a genocide campaign in the late
Ottoman Empire during World War I and to issue a travel warning urging
all Israeli military veterans to refrain from travelling to Turkey,
according to a report in Israel's Yedioth Ahranoth newspaper. The
travel advisory will also urge Israelis to refrain from boarding
connections in Turkey, the report said.
Yedioth Ahranoth said Lieberman had planned meetings with PKK leaders
in Europe in order to find ways to cooperate with them "in every
possible area." In these meetings, the PKK leaders may ask Israel for
military aid in the form of training and arms supplies, the report
said. Lieberman is also planning active Israeli participation in
efforts worldwide to report Turkey's "violations of human rights" in
the treatment of minorities in Turkey.
"We'll exact a price from Erdogan that will prove to him that messing
with Israel doesn't pay off. Turkey better treat us with respect and
common decency," Lieberman was quoted as saying. Whether Lieberman's
threats could ever be implemented remains questionable.
From: Baghdasarian