Turkey freezing defense deals with Israel, may downgrade diplomatic representation
Turkey has frozen all its defense contracts with Israel and is considering downgrading its diplomatic representation here to a charge d'affaires rather than returning an ambassador (who was called home for 'consultations' in the wake of the flotilla incident). Turkey has frozen billions of dollars worth of defense deals with Israel in the wake of the Israel Navy's deadly raid on a humanitarian bound flotilla to the Gaza Strip, according to Turkish media.JPost adds:
Some of the 16 scrapped projects include a $5 billion deal in which Ankara was to receive 1,000 Merkava Mark III tanks from Israel, a $50 million plan to upgrade Turkish M-60 tanks, and a $800 million agreement to buy two Israeli patrol aircrafts and an Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.
Turkey has also abandoned a $632.5 million deal for 54 F-4 Phantom, and a $75 million program for 48 F-5 fighter bombers.
Bilateral corporate deals in the private sector would continue as usual unless so decided by the companies, according to Today's Zaman.
The decision regarding the defense sector was made due to Israel's refusal to apologize or offer concessions for the deaths of the nine Turkish citizens it killed aboard the Mavi Marmara on May 31, said Zaman.
Turkey said it does not know if or when it would decide to send its ambassador back to Israel, according to the newspaper, though such a move would depend on Israel's agreement to send a representative to a United Nations investigatory commission into the raid.
Turkey will refuse to recognize Israel's internal inquiry into the incident at all levels, according to Zaman.
Turkey is considering downgrading diplomatic relations with Israel and reviewing economic and military cooperation unless Jerusalem takes steps to make amends for the deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships, a Turkish official said on Thursday.Arutz Sheva adds:
The official said that Turkey wants Israel to apologize for the raid, return the seized ships, agree to an international investigation and offer compensation for the victims. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.
In contrast, Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman reported on Thursday that the Turkish government expressed satisfaction with the Israeli decision to transfer the aid from the flotilla ship, Mavi Marmara, to the UN for distribution in Gaza.
The paper quoted a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement saying "the fact that the humanitarian aid material on ships taking part in the Gaza aid convoy will be distributed to Gaza by the UN with consent of all parties is considered a positive development in regards to allowing the aids project to achieve its goal."
In a separate development the Turkish news agency Anadolu announced that a monument is to be erected in a suburb of Istanbul in memory of the people killed in the raid.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that Ankara was preparing further sanctions against Israel unless it issues and apology for the deaths of nine Turkish citizens in the IDF raid on the Gaza flotilla several weeks ago.I think we should be just as stubborn as they are being.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:58 AM
4 Comments:
I think we should be just as stubborn as they are being.
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We should have done this and more to Turkey ages ago.
We have no backbone, no self-respect.
Stupid Jews.
Turkey is now an enemy state and with more provocations on the horizons and the Stupid Jews buckling under to the world's assault upon their country, the outbreak of another war in the near future is all but guaranteed.
What could go wrong indeed
good so, no need these things filter through to Iran & Syria
Agreed, Shy Guy. Israel's stupid Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon says Israel won't recall its Ambassador from Ankara. I guess the country really revels in national humiliation as a national pastime. Having no backbone and no self-respect sounds like -yup, Israel!
What could go wrong indeed
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