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Turkey Shelves Israeli Cooperation,
Considers breaking off Ties;
Israel Lobbies in Congress denounce Ankara
Posted on June 16, 2010 by Juan [Cole]
Members of the US Congress attacked Turkey on Wednesday for voting against
the UN Security Council resolution imposing further sanctions on Iran, and
for its heavy criticism of the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Rep. Mike Pence
(R-Indiana) said, "There will be a cost if Turkey stays on its present
heading of growing closer to Iran and more antagonistic to the state of
Israel." Pence said he was reconsidering whether to vote for a resolution
condemning Turkey for the WW I era Armenian genocide.
The Israel lobbies, after defending Turkey from Armenian complaints for
decades, have all of a sudden discovered the Armenian holocaust now that
Turkey is criticizing Israel. This change is important because passage of a
congressional recognition of the genocide would open Turkey to lawsuits,
whereby Armenian political groups could capture Turkish assets in the United
States.
On Turkish steps against Israel, NowLebanon reports:
' Ankara has not taken any practical steps on the matter yet, however,
potential punitive measures include freezing military agreements that exceed
$7 billion in worth, said the source.
He also said that bilateral pilot training programs and intelligence
exchanges would also be suspended, adding that Turkey will not send a new
ambassador to Tel Aviv after it recalled the current one following last
month's raid.'
Turkey is angry that Israel refuses to apologize for its raid on the Turkish
ships in Gaza aid convoy, which left 8 Turks and one American of Turkish
origin dead. Turkey also wants an international inquiry, not an internal
Israeli one. And, of course, Turkey insists on a lifting of the blockade of
Gaza.
In pressuring Israel on these matters, the Turkish government is playing
chicken and risking a thoroughgoing rift with its ally.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shelved 16 bilateral agreements and,
as noted above, billions of dollars worth of joint weapons programs. If the
government of PM Binyamin Netanyahu continues to refuse to cooperate with an
interntional commission of inquiry, Turkey will not send a new ambassador to
Tel Aviv.
Turkey also intends to embarrass Israel with the European Union and in other
international forums until it gets an apology.
At the same time, Turkey insisted that a distinction should be made between
inter-government relations and private commercial relations. It is leading
no consumer boycott of Israeli goods in Turkey, and Turkish Foreign Trade
Minister Zafer Çağlayan warned Israel against boycotting Turkish companies.
Some Israeli supermarket chains are boycotting Turkish produce. And, the
Israeli public has already largely boycotted tourism in Turkey this year and
the Netanyahu government is actively urging them to vacation within Israel,
in keeping with its bunker mentality.
Most of Turkey's foreign trade is with the European Union, the United
States, and Russia, and Turkey does more business with Iran than with
Israel, which is not among its top ten trading partners. Some have called
Turkey's newfound interest in the Muslim Middle East "neo-ottomanism."
Congress should be careful not to over-reach in this intervention against
Turkey on behalf of the Israel lobbies. Some 70 percent of resupply of US
troops in Iraq is carried out through Incirlik Base in Turkey, and Turkey is
part of the NATO force in Afghanistan. In the absence of good relations with
Turkey, the United States would face significant logistical problems in the
region.
Erdogan's shelving of the bilateral agreements, and the potential
cancellation of billiions in joint military equipment ventures, raise the
question of whether Turkey is still a military ally of Israel. Until the
blockade of Gaza is lifted and Israel apologizes to Turkey for the flotilla
raid and the loss of Turkish life, Israel will become more isolated than
ever before. While that isolation may suit the cult-like Likud Party, since
it thrives on xenophobism and insularity, as well as on naked aggression, it
cannot be good for Israel as a whole.
http://www.juancole.com/2010/06/turkey-shelves-israeli-cooperation-considers
-breaking-off-ties-israel-lobbies-in-congress-denounce-ankara.html
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