Israel Matzav

Ahmet Davutoğlu sings his last song to Israel

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says that he's had it with Israel and our 'last chance' to apologize is when the Palmer Report is released - which should be Friday or the Tuesday after Labor Day (Hat Tip: Joshua I).

“We cannot accept a six-month extension. The release date of the UN report is the last date for us. We will put Plan B into play if no [Israeli] apology,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told the Today's Zaman and Hürriyet dailies in a joint interview, without further elaborating.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on July 23 that Turkey now intends to move on to “Plan B” with respect to the Israeli apology conundrum, which will include a campaign against Israel to be carried out in UN institutions, legal action against senior Israeli figures in European courts and a hold on military cooperation between Turkey and Israel. Davutoğlu also warned Israel on Aug. 20 while on a trip to South Africa that relations between Turkey and Israel would only worsen if an apology was not forthcoming following the release of the Palmer report. He said relations will not remain as they are now, adding, “They will deteriorate even more, as the current situation cannot be sustained.”

The UN report is expected to be released in early September by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Davutoğlu, who is currently in Paris to attend a Libya meeting and will then proceed to Poland to participate in an EU gathering, said he is closely following developments surrounding the UN report. The last time the release of the UN report was postponed was two weeks ago, but there were mixed claims about which side had requested the delay.

I discussed why Plan B isn't very meaningful here.

As Davutoğlu left his interview with Hurriyet and Zaman, he was heard singing the song below.

Let's go to the videotape. More after the fold.



Okay, now lest you think that an apology by Israel would really change anything....

The Turkish foreign minister also said Palestinians' statehood bid in the UN is an issue separate from the Mavi Marmara report and that the flotilla incident is about killing Turkish nationals in international waters, adding that it is the natural right of Turkey to hold Israel accountable. Davutoğlu said Turkey will further look into this no matter what fate Palestinians faces during their statehood bid in the UN.

“But our position on the Palestinian issue is also clear. We support Palestine on this issue and we are making every effort for a UN decision in recognition of Palestine,” Davutoğlu stressed.

We'll be just fine without Turkey, thank you. We won't be leaving the lights on.

But read the whole thing.

Labels: Ahmet Davutoglu, Mavi Marmara, outrageous apologies, Turkey, Turkish obsession with Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:58 PM