Hurriyet, Turkey
Jan 28 2009

GOVERNMENT SOFTENS RHETORIC ON ISRAEL

The government has come under criticism for its strong rhetoric
against Israel during the latest Gaza offensive. In the face of
accusations of taking a pro-Hamas stance, Turkeys political leaders
have begun showing signs of toning it down a notch

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has called on the Islamic group Hamas to
use peaceful means to achieve its aims rather than armed struggle and
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoethan will meet with Israeli President
Shimon Peres Thursday at a session on Middle East peace, making it the
countries first high-level encounter since the Turkish leaders severe
criticism of the Israeli military actions in Gaza

In his address, Erdoethan is expected to highlight that his criticism
targets not the Israeli people but the Israeli government and repeat
that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity as is Islamophobia.

"The Israeli president often said in our private meetings that
democracy must be privatized; peace must be privatized. Well be
present at the same session in Davos on Thursday and Ill say to him,
You said democracy must be privatized. I think there is no democracy
more nationalized than this," Erdoethan told his ruling Justice and
Development Party deputies in Parliament yesterday.

He defended the governments foreign policy and said some circles were
uneasy with the multi-faceted policies that have broken the
established taboos.

"They have so far said no to a solution in Cyprus, no to the EU, no to
Greece, no to Armenia, and no to mediation in regional
problems. Theyve said do not establish ties with the Turkic republics,
otherwise you will have changed your direction and do not get
interested in the Middle East, or youll get headache. This is their
vision," said Erdoethan. He said the ruling party would not remain
silent to injustice and that it would not be a partner to injustice

Erdoethan also blamed the media for distorting the governments
position

"There is media in this country that dares to report lies by saying
our president was not invited to a dinner," he said. Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert held a dinner for European leaders who attended a
meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh this month on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Abdullah Gul participated in
the meeting co-chaired by the presidents of Egypt and France but was
not invited to the dinner given by Olmert in Israel later in the day.

"What happened is different from what they report," said Erdoethan.

[HH] Hamas must make a choice, says Babacan

Erdoethan called Israels operations into the Gaza Strip controlled by
Hamas "a crime against humanity," deploring what he saw as excessive
force, and he suggested Israel be barred from the United Nations. His
remarks shocked Israel and were interpreted by political observers as
pro-Hamas.

"Hamas should make a decision. Do they want to be an armed
organization or a political movement?" Babacan said to a group of
newspaper journalists yesterday. He said Turkey was not approving of
what Hamas has done but stressed that peace was impossible without
Hamas. "We must see the truth," he said.

"There is a Hamas reality in Gaza. We are not in a position to approve
of what Hamas is doing but it is not possible to reach success by
ignoring Hamas. An intermediate formula definitely must be found. A
solution must be generated in Gaza in line with the truth," said
Babacan.

"Our position, as Turkey, is very clear. First of all, we criticized
the drama unfolding in Gaza and then we criticized the policies
pursued by Israel. We condemned the (Israeli) operations from the very
first day. Our prime minister said many times in the past that
anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity," he said

In a recent joint letter to Erdoethan, the leaders of five U.S. Jewish
groups presented their concerns about Turkish Jews and said what they
see as rising anti-Semitism in Turkey is connected to the strong
condemnation by Turkish officials of Israel for the recent fighting in
Gaza. Government spokesman Cemil Cicek said Erdoethans criticism
targeted the Israeli policies.

"Nobody should distort the statements made by the prime minister," he
told reporters after Mondays Cabinet meeting. Cicek said all citizens
living in Turkey enjoy the same rights and opportunities and stressed
Turkish Jews are "beloved citizens of this country" and contribute to
its development

In an attempt to dispel the concerns among Turkish Jews after the
governments harsh criticism, he said: "Their security is under the
guarantee of the Turkish Republic."

[HH] No change in Heron agreement

The strained ties due to the Gaza crisis appear not to affect the
military ties between the two regional allies, Turkey and
Israel. Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said yesterday that the agreement
with Israel on the purchase of Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
systems would be followed through, adding Turkey had already received
two Heron systems and the remaining would be delivered in April.

"There is a schedule for the delivery of Herons and any agreement we
abide by is going to be followed through," said a diplomatic source,
denying press reports that Israel canceled the military deal due to
the Turkish governments severe criticism of Tel-Aviv