ISRAEL SORRY FOR ANTI-ERDOGAN REMARKS

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Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:37:06 GMT

Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi

Israeli armed forces chief of staff has apologized to Ankara over an
Israeli general’s harsh comments about Turkey’s Prime Minister.

Turkish military spokesman Brig. Gen. Metin Gurak said on Friday
that Lt.

Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi’s letter to his Turkish counterpart Gen. Ilker
Basbug had been received on Thursday.

It was also disclosed that Ashkenazi had earlier distanced from the
comments made by the commander of Israel’s ground forces, Avi Mizrahi,
in a telephone conversation on Feb.16, declaring the remarks reflected
the commander’s personal views.

Mizrahi had said that Turkish Premier Tayyip Recep Erdogan should
have looked in the mirror before criticizing Israel over the killing
of Palestinians. The Israeli General, who was referring to Erdogan’s
remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, further accused Turkey
of massacring Armenians and suppressing Kurd rebels.

The comments prompted the Turkish Foreign Ministry to summon the
Israeli Ambassador Gabby Levy to protest at the comments about Erdogan.

"The relevant statements of Avi Mizrahi are ungrounded and unacceptable
and as such we have requested an urgent explanation from Israeli
authorities," the ministry said in a statement.

In January, Erdogan walked off the stage at a Davos summit after he
was interrupted for criticizing Tel Aviv and Israeli President Shimon
Peres over the mass killing of Palestinians during the regime’s 23-day
offensive on Gaza, which killed at least 1,330 people.

The incident strained Israeli ties with Turkey, which was to mediate
talks between Tel Aviv and Damascus. However, after Israel launched
its military campaign against the Gaza Strip, Ankara suspended the
mediation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress