The decision canceling Israel’s participation in Turkish and NATO was an expression of the Turkish people’s will, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated in his interview with the Al Jazeera TV channel. According to him, the Turkish Government took the public opinion into account. The Government discussed the problem and decided against Israel’s participation in the air force maneuvers, Erdogan said. He pointed out the necessity for considering all the diplomatic delicacies of the problem.
In his recent interview with CNN, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated that the reason for the decision is the situation in the Gaza Strip. According to him, the maneuvers were canceled because the United State and Italy decided to. It was, however, after Turkey refused to receive the Israeli pilots that dropped bombs on Gaza civilians.
Some in Israel voice fears that Turkey’s ruling party has managed to overcome the army’s opposition, and the traditional Israeli-Turkish cooperation is coming to its end.
Moreover, some hold the opinion that Turkey is ready for forming an alliance with Iran, and the recent agreement with Armenia may be evidence thereof. Turkey is also consolidating its relations with the Syrian regime, and the new axis, Ankara-Damask-Teheran, may pose a special threat to Israel.
The Turkish authorities, however, do not seem to be concerned over the facts. The Turkish television demonstrated a video record with an Israeli man killing a child. A serial showing Israeli servicemen as bloodthirsty child-killers proved to be the last straw for Israel. In this connection, Avigdor Lieberman, Israeli Foreign Minister has summoned the Turkish Ambassador to Israel. According to him, demonstrations like that stir up hatred for Israel. The Israel-based Zman.com points out that Turkey’s overtly anti-Semitic demarche may block her way to the European Union. The former Israeli Consul to Turkey Moti Amihai has openly voiced his concern over the rapid islamization in Turkey since Erdogan came to power there. Referring to a source at the Israeli foreign Office, the Israeli Government has arrived at the inevitable conclusion that, against the present changes in Turkey, it can no longer act as mediator between Israel and Syria.
The new tendencies in Ankara’s foreign policy are being highlighted by IzRus. Against the growing tension in the relations with Turkey, the Israeli leaders are closely watching Ankara’s policy both in the Caucasus and in the Near East, being skeptic about its chances to reap dividends from Armenian-Turkish rapprochement. Analysts think Turkey made this step for the primary purpose of improving its image and chances to join the European Union.
It is noteworthy that, in one of its articles The Jerusalem Post daily (Israel) reported that, in regards to the exercises dispute, Israeli officials said they would end Israeli support for Turkey in its efforts to stop the US Congress voting to declare the killings of Anatolian Armenians by the Ottoman Turks genocide.
