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TURKEY AND ISRAEL HAVE COMMON INTERESTS AND NEEDS EACH OTHER
News.Az
Mon 30 July 2012 05:25 GMT | 6:25 Local Time
News.Az interviews Can Yirik, Israel Analyst in GPoT Center and
co-author of the book "Turkish-Israeli Relations 1949-2010".
How deep is the crisis between Turkey and Israel after the known
incident in the Mediterranean?
Mavi Marmara raid that resulted in the death of nine Turkish citizens
led to the biggest crisis in the history of Turkish-Israeli relations.
It is the first time that Turkish citizens were murdered by a foreign
army. Following the incident, Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Tel
Aviv and requested that Israel issue an apology, offer compensation
the families, accept an international inquiry. Israel accepted
an international inquiry under the auspices of United Nations and
announced that it was ready to pay compensation. However, Israeli
decision makers have clearly expressed that they would never issue an
apology from Turkey. In response, Turkish government announced that the
relations would not be restored unless Israel apologies from Turkey
and lifts Gaza embargo. Political and diplomatic relations have been
frozen, military cooperation agreements and joint military exercises
were cancelled and there is an huge decline in tourism. This is the
biggest crises in Turkish-Israeli relations.
May Turkey and Israel reject all preconditions for sake of
normalization of bilateral relations?
Turkey bound the fate of its relations with Israel to certain
requirements; apology and Gaza embargo. Any policy change in Ankara's
stance towards Israel would undermine Turkey's regional prestige
which is very high in the Arab world. Turkey wants to be the pivotal
state in the region. If Turkey drops any of those conditions, it will
lose its credibility and chance for becoming a regional power. Thus,
Turkey will not be able to retreat from its position.
How real is a threat that Israeli Parliament will recognize 1915
events in Ottoman Empire as "Armenian genocide"?
In every legislative term, Israel's Meretz party proposes Knesset to
recognize the so-called Armenian genocide. The proposal was discussed
in Culture and Education Committees in this year. Despite Meretz's
yearly attempts, the other parties and state officials do not want to
use the Armenian issue as a leverage against Turkey. Turkish-Israeli
relations are very fragile and Israel wants to restore the relations
as soon as possible. They know that Armenian issue will make problems
much more complicated.
How may the Turkish-Israeli crisis touch Azerbaijan and its relation
with Israel? Does Turkey want Azerbaijan to restrict this cooperation?
Turkey is very angry to Israel. Turkish government implements a policy
based on isolation of Israel in regional and international platforms.
Henceforth, Turkey has been using its veto power in order to block
Israel's participation to any platform that Turkey takes part.
However, Turkey does not criticize any country just because that it
has close ties with Israel. This is not Turkey's policy. On the other
hand, Turkey has serious problems with Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia,
Armenia. Turkey needs to keep its close relations with Azerbaijan.
Thus, I do not think that the close Azerbaijani-Israeli ties affects
Turkey's relations with Azerbaijan or any other state in the region.
And may Azerbaijan do something to assist reconciliation between
Turkey and Israel?
Unfortunately none of the states that have close relations with Turkey
or Israel can play a role for mending Turkish-Israeli ties. Turkey's
position is very obvious. Without apology and without any improvement
in Israeli-Palestinian peace process, there will be no improvement in
the relations. Given the recent developments in the region, Turkey
and Israel have common interests and needs each other. Azerbaijan
can play a role only if it gets Israel to apologize from Turkey.
From: Baghdasarian
News.Az
Mon 30 July 2012 05:25 GMT | 6:25 Local Time
News.Az interviews Can Yirik, Israel Analyst in GPoT Center and
co-author of the book "Turkish-Israeli Relations 1949-2010".
How deep is the crisis between Turkey and Israel after the known
incident in the Mediterranean?
Mavi Marmara raid that resulted in the death of nine Turkish citizens
led to the biggest crisis in the history of Turkish-Israeli relations.
It is the first time that Turkish citizens were murdered by a foreign
army. Following the incident, Turkey withdrew its ambassador from Tel
Aviv and requested that Israel issue an apology, offer compensation
the families, accept an international inquiry. Israel accepted
an international inquiry under the auspices of United Nations and
announced that it was ready to pay compensation. However, Israeli
decision makers have clearly expressed that they would never issue an
apology from Turkey. In response, Turkish government announced that the
relations would not be restored unless Israel apologies from Turkey
and lifts Gaza embargo. Political and diplomatic relations have been
frozen, military cooperation agreements and joint military exercises
were cancelled and there is an huge decline in tourism. This is the
biggest crises in Turkish-Israeli relations.
May Turkey and Israel reject all preconditions for sake of
normalization of bilateral relations?
Turkey bound the fate of its relations with Israel to certain
requirements; apology and Gaza embargo. Any policy change in Ankara's
stance towards Israel would undermine Turkey's regional prestige
which is very high in the Arab world. Turkey wants to be the pivotal
state in the region. If Turkey drops any of those conditions, it will
lose its credibility and chance for becoming a regional power. Thus,
Turkey will not be able to retreat from its position.
How real is a threat that Israeli Parliament will recognize 1915
events in Ottoman Empire as "Armenian genocide"?
In every legislative term, Israel's Meretz party proposes Knesset to
recognize the so-called Armenian genocide. The proposal was discussed
in Culture and Education Committees in this year. Despite Meretz's
yearly attempts, the other parties and state officials do not want to
use the Armenian issue as a leverage against Turkey. Turkish-Israeli
relations are very fragile and Israel wants to restore the relations
as soon as possible. They know that Armenian issue will make problems
much more complicated.
How may the Turkish-Israeli crisis touch Azerbaijan and its relation
with Israel? Does Turkey want Azerbaijan to restrict this cooperation?
Turkey is very angry to Israel. Turkish government implements a policy
based on isolation of Israel in regional and international platforms.
Henceforth, Turkey has been using its veto power in order to block
Israel's participation to any platform that Turkey takes part.
However, Turkey does not criticize any country just because that it
has close ties with Israel. This is not Turkey's policy. On the other
hand, Turkey has serious problems with Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia,
Armenia. Turkey needs to keep its close relations with Azerbaijan.
Thus, I do not think that the close Azerbaijani-Israeli ties affects
Turkey's relations with Azerbaijan or any other state in the region.
And may Azerbaijan do something to assist reconciliation between
Turkey and Israel?
Unfortunately none of the states that have close relations with Turkey
or Israel can play a role for mending Turkish-Israeli ties. Turkey's
position is very obvious. Without apology and without any improvement
in Israeli-Palestinian peace process, there will be no improvement in
the relations. Given the recent developments in the region, Turkey
and Israel have common interests and needs each other. Azerbaijan
can play a role only if it gets Israel to apologize from Turkey.
From: Baghdasarian