Paranoid Turks accuse bird of spying for Israel
Maybe the Turks really are afraid of their own shadows (Hat Tip: Joshua I). The bird-beak in question reportedly sported "unusually large nostrils," which – combined with the identification ring – raised suspicions that the bird was "implanted with a surveillance device" and that it arrived in Turkey as part of an espionage mission.You might recall a similar incident involving a vulture in Saudi Arabia about 15 months ago. These people really are paranoid, aren't they? Heh.
The bird's remains were originally handed over to the Turkish Agriculture Ministry, which then turned in over to Ankara's security services.
News of the "spy bird" spread quickly within Turkey's ornithological community, and Israeli ornithologists soon got word of it as well.
The Society for Protection of Nature in Israel was alerted and was able to confirm that the bird was banded about four years ago, as a matter of routine,
Yoav Pearlman, of the Israeli Birdwatching Center, explained that Israel's north is home to a large bee-eater population, and that many more use Israel as a stop in their migration route, which includes Turkey, southern Europe and Russia.
"The Turkish authorities can rest easy – it's not a spy," Pearlman said.
Labels: Angry Birds, Mossad, Turkish obsession with Israel
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:48 AM
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