Israel Matzav

Former AKP Minister claims Israel cleared Meshaal's 2006 visit to Turkey

A former deputy Prime Minister from Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP party is claiming that Israel asked Turkey to invite Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal to travel to Turkey in 2006 so that the Turks could act as a go-between for Israel and Hamas. In 2006, Israel and Turkey still had good relations, although the former minister, Abdüllatif Şener, regards this visit as the beginning of the end of those relations (Hat Tip: Joshua I).

Abdüllatif Şener, a former AK Party deputy who resigned and established his own Turkey Party (TP), told Today's Zaman in an exclusive interview during an election rally in Sivas that the Hamas leader visited Turkey under an agreement between the Turkish and Israeli governments. “The official invitation was extended to Mashaal after a secret agreement was brokered between Turkey and Israel. I know for a fact that the visit was originally planned at the request of the Israelis,” he added. The Hamas leader's visit at the time provoked a public reaction from the Israeli side, which went so far as to compare this visit to one by terrorist Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader. Turkish authorities immediately denounced the comparison as “irresponsible and erroneous.”

Many regarded Mashaal’s visit as the start of worsening ties between the long-time allies, Turkey and Israel, and some even suggested that the ruling AK Party was changing its axis in foreign policy, siding with radical elements in the Middle East.

Şener argued that this was merely a public relations stunt to create the impression that Turkey was flexing its muscles against the Jewish state, despite the fact that the visit was planned in advance at Israel’s request. “The public bashing of Turkey over this visit was carefully planned to project Turkey’s image as a rising star to domestic and foreign audiences in the region,” he noted.

“The issue came up at the Cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan asked his foreign minister, Abdullah Gül [now Turkish president], to brief the ministers. We were told that the Hamas leader’s visit had been discussed with the Israeli government. Israel was very happy about the visit because Hamas had come to power in Gaza, and this man was one of the organization’s powerful leaders. Israel can’t contact Hamas directly because it sees Hamas as a terrorist organization. Our relationship with Hamas fits the Israelis’ plans in the sense that some Israeli demands can be conveyed to Hamas through Turkey. That is why we invited the Hamas leader to visit Turkey at the request of Israel, we were told,” Şener recalled.

I don't buy this story. First, most Israelis would probably say that there was nothing wrong with our relations with Turkey until Erdogan stormed out of Davos in front of Shimon Peres in December 2008.

Second, why on earth would Israel ask someone to negotiate with Hamas on our behalf? What was there to negotiate with Hamas? They had not kidnapped Gilad Shalit yet, we already knew that cease fires don't hold with them either. If we weren't going to talk to them, we weren't going to ask others to talk with them on our behalf either. So, no, I don't buy this story.

Labels: Davos Conference, Khaled Meshaal, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey, Turkish obsession with Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:32 AM