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US SAYS TURKISH COMMENTS ON ISRAEL 'TROUBLING'
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. (Photo: Cihan)
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-306241-us-says-turkish-comments-on-israel-troubling.html
6 February 2013 /TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The United States has publicly criticized its NATO ally Turkey for its
blunt criticism against Israel and said it has formally conveyed its
concerns to Ankara.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of conducting
"state terrorism" after the Jewish state reportedly carried out air
strikes inside Syria last week, while Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
has criticized the Syrian regime for not retaliating against Israel.
Responding on the comments, State Department spokesperson Victoria
Nuland called them "inflammatory" and said they are "obviously very
troubling to us." Speaking at a daily press briefing on Tuesday,
Nuland also said the US side has "in the last 24 hours conveyed our
concerns on this matter with senior Turkish officials."
She said the US administration has conveyed its concerns to Turkish
authorities via the US Embassy in Ankara. The new secretary of state,
John Kerry, did not raise the issue when he spoke to Foreign Minister
Davutoglu on the phone over the weekend because he was not aware of
the comments at that time, said Nuland.
"Our view here is that all of us need to keep our eye on the ball,
which is to get the violence to stop, to get [Bashar al-] Assad to
step down, and to turn the page towards a democratic Syria," said
Nuland.
Erdogan on Sunday slammed Israel for the strike, which reportedly
targeted a convoy carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Lebanese
group Hezbollah, saying: "No one can tell what Israel will do and
where. ... Those who have treated Israel like a spoiled boy in
particular can now expect anything from Israel at any time."
Earlier, Davutoglu criticized President Assad for not "throwing a
stone at the Israeli planes while they fly over his palace and insult
his nation's honor," while his warplanes have been dropping bombs on
the Syrian people for 22 months.
Arguing that Assad is using the attack to boost support for his regime
among Muslim countries, Davutoglu asked if there was a secret
agreement between Assad and Israel. Syria should "do whatever a
country that comes under attack should do," Davutoglu said.
Nuland said similar statements by Syrian opposition leaders calling
for retaliation against Israel were "individual comments from some
individuals" that do not reflect the views of the Syrian opposition as
a whole.
Turkey is one of the staunchest critics of the Assad regime and
supports the opposition, which seeks to topple him. Turkish-Israeli
relations have also been in a state of crisis since Israeli commandos
killed eight Turks and a Turkish-American in May 2010 during a raid on
an aid ship bound for Gaza.
In a sharply critical editorial published on Wednesday, Israeli
newspaper The Jerusalem Post attacked Erdogan and Davutoglu for their
latest remarks. Citing Davutoglu's remarks that Turkey would not "stay
unresponsive" to an Israeli aggression against any Muslim country, the
daily asked: "If those are not fighting words, what are?"
"The West must stop deluding itself with regard to the political
leadership of Turkey. The time has come to recognize that Turkey has
changed radically -- and for the worse," it said.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. (Photo: Cihan)
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-306241-us-says-turkish-comments-on-israel-troubling.html
6 February 2013 /TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The United States has publicly criticized its NATO ally Turkey for its
blunt criticism against Israel and said it has formally conveyed its
concerns to Ankara.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of conducting
"state terrorism" after the Jewish state reportedly carried out air
strikes inside Syria last week, while Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
has criticized the Syrian regime for not retaliating against Israel.
Responding on the comments, State Department spokesperson Victoria
Nuland called them "inflammatory" and said they are "obviously very
troubling to us." Speaking at a daily press briefing on Tuesday,
Nuland also said the US side has "in the last 24 hours conveyed our
concerns on this matter with senior Turkish officials."
She said the US administration has conveyed its concerns to Turkish
authorities via the US Embassy in Ankara. The new secretary of state,
John Kerry, did not raise the issue when he spoke to Foreign Minister
Davutoglu on the phone over the weekend because he was not aware of
the comments at that time, said Nuland.
"Our view here is that all of us need to keep our eye on the ball,
which is to get the violence to stop, to get [Bashar al-] Assad to
step down, and to turn the page towards a democratic Syria," said
Nuland.
Erdogan on Sunday slammed Israel for the strike, which reportedly
targeted a convoy carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Lebanese
group Hezbollah, saying: "No one can tell what Israel will do and
where. ... Those who have treated Israel like a spoiled boy in
particular can now expect anything from Israel at any time."
Earlier, Davutoglu criticized President Assad for not "throwing a
stone at the Israeli planes while they fly over his palace and insult
his nation's honor," while his warplanes have been dropping bombs on
the Syrian people for 22 months.
Arguing that Assad is using the attack to boost support for his regime
among Muslim countries, Davutoglu asked if there was a secret
agreement between Assad and Israel. Syria should "do whatever a
country that comes under attack should do," Davutoglu said.
Nuland said similar statements by Syrian opposition leaders calling
for retaliation against Israel were "individual comments from some
individuals" that do not reflect the views of the Syrian opposition as
a whole.
Turkey is one of the staunchest critics of the Assad regime and
supports the opposition, which seeks to topple him. Turkish-Israeli
relations have also been in a state of crisis since Israeli commandos
killed eight Turks and a Turkish-American in May 2010 during a raid on
an aid ship bound for Gaza.
In a sharply critical editorial published on Wednesday, Israeli
newspaper The Jerusalem Post attacked Erdogan and Davutoglu for their
latest remarks. Citing Davutoglu's remarks that Turkey would not "stay
unresponsive" to an Israeli aggression against any Muslim country, the
daily asked: "If those are not fighting words, what are?"
"The West must stop deluding itself with regard to the political
leadership of Turkey. The time has come to recognize that Turkey has
changed radically -- and for the worse," it said.