The UN Palmer Report, which largely exonerated Israel for murdering nine unarmed Turkish civilians in international waters on May 31, 2010, seemed in some ways like the last straw. Prior to its publication, the camel’s back had already mostly broken, and a collapse in Turkish-Israeli ties was looming.
Turkey’s sin was seeking an apology for the killing of its citizens—on their way to deliver essential, life-saving supplies to malnourished and besieged Palestinians in Gaza—at the hand of Israeli army commandos.
If the civilians had been Israelis, and the commandos part of a Turkish force, all hell would have broken loose. Israel and the US would have declared Turkey a pariah state. Turkey, however, merely demanded an apology, and it was affronted further for doing so.
Of course, this is not the first time that Israel deliberately provoked and tested Turkish patience. Israel has attempted to infiltrate Turkey’s own political spaces by supporting its regional opponents and arming various rebel groups with the aim of destabilizing Turkey.
Instead of acknowledging the country’s rising significance and accommodating to the rules of the ‘new Middle East’ political game, Israel resorted to intimidation and insults. It repeatedly placed Turkey—a thriving democracy and a proud regional power of 80 million—in a very sensitive standing.
However, the anti-Turkish attitude in Israel was not an outcome of the Mavi Marmara incident last year. “The height of humiliation” is how an Israeli newspaper described a scene in which Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned Turkish ambassador, Ahmet Oguz, last January to humiliate him before Israeli media. Oguz was reprimanded over a fictional Turkish TV show that was critical of Israel. To ensure that the point has been successfully made, Ayalon “urged journalists to make clear that the ambassador was seated on a low sofa, while the Israeli officials were in much higher chairs,” according to the BBC (January 13, 2010). Ayalon noted that is “there is only one flag here”—the Israeli flag—and “we are not smiling”.
How did Turkey respond? A statement issued by the foreign ministry “invited” their counterparts in “Israeli foreign ministry to respect the rules of diplomatic courtesy.” Hardly outrageous. The gist of the Turkish message that followed the murder of the Turkish humanitarian activists a few months later was not much different. It basically asked for an apology.
Turkey was shunned for the seemingly unreasonable demand. An unnamed senior Israeli official explained the Israeli logic to Ynet news on September 2, following Turkey’s decision to downgrade ties with Israel. “Turkey is an important country in the Middle East, but an apology is a very strategic precedent for Israel in this region,” he said. That is true, Israel’s diplomacy is predicated on unfair trade, violent storming of humanitarian boats, subservient activities, espionage and much more. Indeed, an apology for the murder of Turkish’s civilians would be a precedent.
Even after the recent publishing of Palmer Report—a contradictory and obvious attempt at exonerating the Israeli army while implicating Turkish humanitarian activists—Turkey acted responsibly. But it also acted with the poise and dignity that is expected of a democratic country expressing the wishes of the vast majority of its people. It downgraded military, trade and other ties with Israel. Why should Turkey share military intelligence with a country that murders Turks, humiliates its diplomats and refuses to apologize?
Still, from Israel’s point of view, Turkey has crossed all the limits of acceptable behavior. “Turkish warships will escort any Turkish aid vessels to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” said Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in an interview with Al Jazeera (as quoted in the Guardian, September 8). At the same time, Turkish diplomacy continued to offer a window of opportunity to detain further escalation. “Our embassy in Israel is open, and the Israeli embassy in Ankara is open. The relations would return to the old days if Israel apologizes and accepts to pay compensation,” said Huseyin Celik, Deputy Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development party (according to the Guardian, September 8.)
Since an apology is a “precedent”, Israel responded in the only way it knows how. An accusatory campaign was launched against Turkey with outlandish insinuations and direct threats.
“This is part of the Islamization spreading there, and we must recognize it,” said the senior official to Ynet. The leading Israeli news source also published a column by one Ron Ben-Yishai, calling the Turkish Prime Minister a “short-tempered thug.” In “Turkey no great power,” Yishai accused the country of failing on most fronts. “Turkey under Erdogan’s leadership is neither a reliable ally nor a credible rival,” he charged.
These views are hardly marginal, and were matched by specific threats by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. “We’ll exact a price from Erdogan that will prove to him that messing with Israel doesn’t pay off,” Lieberman reportedly said. More specifically, he “urge(d) all Israeli military veterans to refrain from traveling to Turkey and facilitate cooperation with the Armenians—Turkey’s historic rivals.” He said he also plans to meet with the Turkish rebel group PKK to “cooperate with them and boost them in every possible area,” according to UPI, September 9.
Per this logic, demanding an apology for murder equals a thuggish act, while stirring regional instability and admitting to supporting armed militias is an acceptable diplomatic maneuver.
Turkey had no other option but to escalate before an obstinate “ally.” And considering the latter’s existing isolation in the region—and the growing anti-Israeli sentiment in Egypt and elsewhere—it is likely that Israel, not Turkey, will lose out in this political tussle.
Even the US, Israel’s “unconditional” ally, seems to recognize the dangerous game being played by Israel and its rightwing government of Benjamin Netanyahu. Recently revealed comments made by then US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates indicate that Americans are simply fed up with supporting Israel’s “dangerous” policies, while “receive(ing) nothing in return” (Bloomberg, September 5).
It is these very dangerous policies that guide Israel’s brewing conflict with Turkey amid complete lack of political wisdom in Tel Aviv. But if extreme militancy was not enough to intimidate or weaken the resolve of a tiny and besieged place like Gaza, why should it work against a great and rising power like Turkey?
Rational thinking in Netanyahu’s government might also be an acceptable precedent.
The Israili reaction reminds me of the reaction which Lee Kwan Yew displays whenver he is confronted with unpleasant questions. Of course don’t forget that Israel helped LKY to develop his armed forces. Presemably the Israeli way of thinking has seeped into LKY’s mind. Now it is obvious that LKY is more than a nationalist.
Israel shall be increasingly recognized for what it really is … the World’s Premier “Undeclared Terrorist State”! After all it was neither Iran nor N. Korea who assasinated unarmed civilian activists in International Waters, it was radical Religio-Fascist Zionist Israel.
Thanks for the fair and inspiring analysis. We need more sane and outspoken people like Ramzy Baroud.
This analysis is BIASED. Ramzy Baroud is “Arab” only in name. He cooperates with Obama’s administration policy, like Juan Cole a CIA consultant, in the region and against countries who are in the camp of RESISTENCE against Israel but COOPERATES with Obama with Turkey which is in the SERVICE OF US IMPERIALISM/ZIONISM.
Turkey, as Abukhalil and other Arabs have written, IS NOT FRIEND OF ARABS AT ALL. Turkey is following her own interests USING PALESTININIAN issue with US /Israel supports. Erdugan, in fact, is US puppet and he showed it when he turned against Gaddafi and Syria.
Erdugan with the help of Israel and Obama administration is playing a game to deceive Arabs to present himself as ‘FRIEND’ of Arabs and Palestinians which is nothing but a LIE. Americans with Arabic names are trying to help Obama’s plan for the region where one of them is “RAMZY BAROUD”. He has reduced himself to nothing but CHEERLEADER for an imposter known as Erdugan.
As’ad AbuKhalil in an article “Turkey: No Friend of Arab Uprisings“ writes:
{But Turkey’s moment in the Middle East, so to speak, was short lived. The fiery rhetoric in the wake of the Israeli attack on the flotilla massacre was not really matched by actual actions. The Turkish government has been insisting that all it wants is an apology.}
http://english.al-akhbar.com/blogs/angry-corner/turkey-no-friend-arab-uprisings
As we know, Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize Israel. Since her recognition of Israel, more than 62 years ago, Turkey continued to be a partner with the apartheid states against the interest of people of the region regardless of ethnic or religious divide.
Turkey’s cooperation with Israel, a Zionist state, has continued to this day. In 2008-9 when Gaza was bombed and more than 1400 Gazan were burned to death with phosphorous bombs, many children and toddlers, Erdugan did not called her ambassador home for even one hour. He did nothing. As matter of facts Turkey’s cooperation with Israel in military and economic relations was not affected at all and Turkey under Erdugan remained NO. 1 in the region and 2 in the world after the United States.
Erdugan, however, put on a show in Dovas outburst to FOOL IGNORANT PEOPLE to capture Arab’s minds and hearts to bring the fools on board. Erugan and Turkey have become the voice of Obama’s policy in the region because Obama CANNOT DELIVER with less than 4% popularity. Erdugan has a mission to gain the support of the ignorant Arabs through phony “challenges” that Erdugan put forward against Israel to manipulate Arabs for the interest of US policy and Turkey.
Turkey does not care about suffering of Palestinians. Erdugan does care about Turks who were massacared by Israel. Erdugan, however, thinks only in terms of his party’s interest by implementing the empire’s instructions.
Turkey cannot stop playing as “challenge’ to Israelis’ aggression because Turkey and Erdugan have NO CREDIT to show that they care about ARABS. Erdugan was relieved when UN reported that Israel is NOT GUILTY to kill the Turks because has a right to defend herself. This language was demanded by Erdugan, the imposter. As Haaretz wrote:
{Israeli official: Turkey wants UN to tone down report on Gaza flotilla raid
Official says Erdogan government ‘very worried’ over criticism of Turkey the report is expected to contain; Toning down report is proposed in deal to heal diplomatic rift between the two countries.}
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-official-turkey-wants-un-to-tone-down-report-on-gaza-flotilla-raid-1.369614
Ramzy Baroud like Juan Cole poses as “progressive” or “left” that supported Obama’s war policy in Libya and now in Syria. Juan Cole also has turned to Obma’s cheerleader in support of his wars in Muslim countries. No difference between Juan Cole and Ramzy Baroud, both are in the service of the empire.
Turkey is trying to become the dominant power in the region with the help of the United States by serving American policy which means more wars and more killing. Iran is the only country in the region that supported Palestinians for the past, at least, 32 years continually by WORDS, ACTION AND POLICY not by empty and stupid SLOGANS.
Ramzy Baroud cannot be trusted.
I agree completely. Ramzy Baroud is a traitor to the Palestinian cause. He is a puppet of Israel trying to fool gullible Arabs. He is not of Palestinian origin.
Erdugan cannot be trusted. He does not care about Palestinian suffering or Arab grievances because he is concerned only about Turkey’s mission as a Trojan Horse.
According to Sungur Savran:
{Erdogan, co-chair together with prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain of the so-called Alliance of Civilisations, a product of the Bush era, in effect acts as a Trojan horse of imperialism in the Arab world. So it is clear that the Erdogan government is constitutionally unfit for a full-scale defence of Palestinian rights.
There is finally the indisputable fact that an overwhelming majority of the Arab governments with which Erdogan is planning to work on increasingly closer terms, from the secular Egyptian dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak (complicit in the blockade on Gaza) to the medieval fundamentalists of Saudi Arabia, have for decades remained deaf to the plight of the Palestinians simply because they are servile followers of the U.S., their great benefactor. The AKP government is itself painfully aware of this situation: one of Erdogan’s ministers has gone on record for saying that even Pope Benedict XVI showed more sensitivity to the Mavi Marmara incident than many Arab governments}
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php
?context=va&aid=19722
Turkey has killed many Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and else where through NATO and now is actively supporting the plot against Syria and perhaps more countries in the region to serve the interest of Israel and the empire.
Turkey has no combat force in Afghanistan and Libya. PM Erdogan made it clear saying that we will not fight our brothers. Valid arguments please
Servant of US imperialism, Erdugan, did not go to Gaza during his ‘tour'”
{Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday that he would not pay a visit to Gaza.
“I will not visit Gaza. But I would like to say clearly that I’m longing to visit Gaza as soon as possible,” Erdoğan, who left for the Egyptian capital of Cairo for his visits to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, told reporters before his departure at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.}
HE HAS DONE NOTHING FOR PALESTINIANS AND NEVER WILL.
After the flotilla massacre by Israel, Turkey voted for Israel entery into OECD although Salam Fayyad begged Erdugan not to do it for the sake of Palestinians.
How can anyone trust Turkey and Erdugan when they have nothing to show that they ‘care’ about Palestinian’s suffering while they have PLENTY to show that they have served zionism and imperialism very well and continue to do so.
Turkey has strong military and economic relations with Israel, the enemy of Palestinians.
{PM Erdogan made it clear saying that we will not fight our brothers.}
Turkey was directly involved in killing Libyan people through NATO. Now, Turkey is involved in a plot against Syria. It has been reported that Turkey trains Muslim Brother terrorists to be sent into Syria for more killing and chaos to create “facts on the ground” for future NATO action. Countries in the region must do the same to destabilize Turkey and expose Erdugan, the imposter.
Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya writes:
{Turkey is administering or running the airport in Benghazi from which the U.S., British, French, NATO, and Qatar have given covert and illegal combat support assistance to the Transitional Council. [31] It was actually NATO that assigned Ankara the airport authority role via a NATO agreement with the Transitional Council. [32] Moreover, one of NATO’s operational headquarters for the war against Libya is located in Turkey and Ankara’s naval forces are participating in the naval operations and embargo against Libya. Turkey is also a de facto combatant through its combat support role in the war.}
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24746
Turkey world leader in imprisoned journalist, yet Obama, Hillary Clinton and Ramzy Baroud are trying to sell Turkey, with 57 Journalists in prison, as a ‘model’ to ignorant Arabs. On the other hand, Obama and Clinton bashing China, with 1.5 million population and Iran, 75M population, each with 34, for violation of ‘human rights’. Turkey like Israel is treated differently because is helping US agenda in the region and for the past 63 years has remain an close ally, military and economic, of an apartheid state, an enemy of Muslims and Palestinians.
Turkey is using Arab fools to lead Sunni camp against Shi’ites to establish “the new Middle East”
pushing for destablization of the regional states based on ethnic and religous divide, based on ODED YINON strategy, to serve US/Israel interest and Turkey to rule over Arab fools in the region. This means more killings and more blood shed.
Turkey is NO. 1 economic partner of the zionist state in the region and NO. 2 in the world after the United States.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=ipi-report-declares-turkey-world-leader-of-imprisoned-journalists-2011-04-08
{..Palmer Report—a contradictory and obvious attempt at exonerating the Israeli army while implicating Turkish humanitarian activists—Turkey acted responsibly. But it also acted with the poise and dignity that is expected of a democratic country expressing the wishes of the vast majority of its people.}
Mr. Baroud stop painting Turkey in a different light. Turkey has the largest number of Journalist in Prison in the world. Who has given you the right to paint Turkey as a “democratic country” at this page?
Do you have the mission to help policy in the region against Muslims? No one listens to your biased analysis of Turkey, pawn of imperialism.
Baroud supported destruction of Libya and now has gone against Syria to support Obama’s policy in the region.
Ramzy Baroud cannot be trusted. Please read his articles on Libya and Syria to know that he like Juan Cole, A CIA agent, supports Obama’s war machine against Muslim countries buy he refuses to tell you that the opposition against Gaddafi and Assad are Muslim brotherhoods like Erdugan, who are trainted and armed by Western intelligent agencies, MI6/CIA/Mossad sending them into syria from Turkish border to kill security agents and police to implicate assad which has been exposed by many activists, yet Ramzy Baroud refuses to expose these terrorist activities of Obama/s administration and his pawn ERDUGAN.
How many times have you read an article against the most reactionry Arab state, Saudi Arabia by Ramzy Baroud? None.
Turkey is cooperating with the most reactionary forces in the region to serve Israel and US.
Erdugan is a LIAR.
Erdugan threatened to do the following against Israel:
-Strengthen the presence of the Turkish navy in the eastern Mediterranean, and “pursue a more aggressive strategy”.
-Again send ships to “carry aid” to Gaza.
-Personally visit Gaza.
He has done none of the above.
Eudogan was relieved when Palmer report found Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza ‘legal’.
Erdugan needed a mild language to be used in the report so Israel/Turkey’s cooperation be protected.
Some people accept Erdugan’s lies as ‘true’ since majority of Arab ‘leaders’ are zionist puppet like Saudi Arabi.
Razmy Baroud supported Nato/US war on Libya and now is writing against Bashir Asad in Syria in support of ‘humanitarian intervention’ like Libya where Muslim Brotherhood is the ‘opposition’, of course with Turkey’s blessing.
It has been reported that Turkey and NATO are making plans to stage an military attack on Syria in the near future.
What is the difference between Turkey (Erdugan) and terrorist state of Israel where you, Mr. Baroud, play the role of a PROPAGANDIST for an imposter like Erdugan? Turkey has killed so many Muslims through NATO to help US/Israel agenda in the region.
We don’t listen to you, Baroud, and expose your cooperation with war criminals in Syria and Libya, like Juan Cole, a CIA agent.
Turkey is an ally of Israel for the past 63 years and has done NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING for Arabs or Palestinians since her erection in 1948.
Shame on people who have become Erdugan’s propagandist helping him to deceive Arabs for the benefit of US/Israe’s plan, “the new Middle East”.
We don’t listen to ignorant people and tell them get lost.
The imposter Erdugon has done sh*t for Palestinians or Arabs and plenty to serve zionism/Imperialism. In the latest interview with Charlie Rose, Erdugan the LIAR used “spoiled child” to describe Israel’s behaviour not apartheid state, racist state or a terrorist state.
Shame on him and those propagandists who paint an imposter a ‘hero’.
We tell them all go to hell.
Ramzy Baroud once agian presented himself as a stooge of Obama and an imposter, Erdugan, by writing a note to express his agreement with the zionist stooges in washington that he is against Abbas who has taken his bit for statehood to the UN.
Ramzy Baroud like Hussain Ibish, a zionist stooge, has expressed has sided with Obama, a zionist puppet against Abbas’ decision who is seeking statehood through the UN. He writes:
“For months, Palestinian intellectuals, historians, legal experts and academicians have warned against Abbas’s haphazard, understudied move.”
http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/09/another-symbolic-victory-abbas%e2%80%99-new-political-gambit/
SHAME ON YOU.
HE LIKE JUAN COLE IS IN THE SERVICE OF OBAMA re-election bid for more garbage and blood shed in the ME.