Israeli-Turkish diplomatic crisis worsens
Xinhuanet / Xinhuanet
13-Oct-2009 (one comment)

JERUSALEM, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Ten months after Turkey first protested Israel's military operation in and around Palestinian Gaza Strip, crisis between Ankara and the Israelis appears to be going from bad to worse.

    It became clear on Sunday that Turkey had banned Israel from participating in a NATO-led, international air-force drill over its territory, which led to the entire exercise being postponed.

    A day later, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched a blistering verbal attack on Israel and its actions in Gaza last winter.

    "While in some countries children are provided with comfort, peace, the most advanced education and health opportunities, other children are faced with poverty, destitution, helplessness, war, conflict, weapons of mass destruction and phosphorus bombs," he told the Turkish Religious Council, cited by media reports in Turkey and Israel.

    It is hard to see the relations between the two countries coming out of the continued tensions before Israelis return to the negotiation table with the Palestinians, analysts suggested.

    

>>>
Shah Ghollam

Israel's diminishing fortunes in Middle East

by Shah Ghollam on Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:15 PM PDT

The first sign of just how the ties had deteriorated was a very public incident in January. "You are killing people," Erdogan told Israel's President Shimon Peres as the two men addressed a session of the World Economic Forum's annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland.

    Thousands of well-wishers arrived at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul to welcome home Erdogan after his attack on Peres, making a clear statement to the world about Turkish feelings regarding the Gaza issue.



Balatarin
Share/Save/Bookmark