http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/turkish-officials-we-re-committed-to-preserving-friendly-israel-ties-1.310341
Published 11:08 26.08.10
Latest update 11:08 26.08.10
Turkish officials: We're committed to preserving friendly Israel ties
Turkish diplomat visiting U.S. tells Turkish paper Gaza flotilla raid bears no
ill effect on Turkey's attitude toward Israel or Jews, only Israel's gov't.
By News Agencies
Senior Turkish officials currently visiting the United States confirmed their
commitment to preserving warm relations with Israel, the Turkish newspaper
Zaman reported Thursday.
Ties between Turkey and Israel, once close allies, have been strained ever
since Turkey mounted harsh criticism against Israel's military offensive in the
Gaza Strip in the winter of 2008/2009. Relations deteriorated further following
a Turkish-sponsored aid flotilla in May, which aimed to bring supplies to Gaza
in violation of an Israeli naval blockade. An Israeli navy raid aboard one of
the flotilla ships ended in a violent clash that left nine Turkish activists
dead.
Earlier this month, the U.S. denied reports it had given Turkey an ultimatum,
threatening to scrap a huge arms deal unless the Muslim state toned down its
hostile stance against Israel.
A delegation of senior Turkish officials, headed by Turkey's Foreign Ministry
Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, met with U.S. State Department officials as
well as Defense officials and commerce representatives. Turkish media quoted
one of the delegation members as saying that the May flotilla incident was an
"event between two friends."
The same diplomat said that this was the first time that Israel experienced
such a deadly incident with an ally, which is why the shock was so intense. He
clarified that the flotilla raid had no bearing on Turkey's diplomatic
relations with Israel or the Jewish people, but rather it only affected
Turkey's attitude toward Israel's government.
He added that the latest tensions between the two allies were preventing Turkey
from resuming its role as peace mediator between Israel and Syria.
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