DIPLOMATIC TENSIONS ESCALATE AFTER ISRAEL SNUBS TURKISH AMBASSADOR

Hurriyet
Jan 12 2010
Turkey

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon (l) and Turkish Ambassador Oguz
Celikkol (r) in the controversial seating order on Monday. AFP photo

The Turkish Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to Ankara,
Gaby Levy, on Tuesday, asking for an explanation about the undiplomatic
treatment in Tel Aviv of the Turkish ambassador.

Late Monday, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, summoned
Ambassador Oguz Celikkol to criticize a Turkish television drama
depicting Israeli security forces kidnapping children and shooting
old men.

As the meeting started, Ayalon told the cameramen that Celikkol was
purposely seated on a sofa lower than his own chair, reported Turkish
broadcaster NTV. He also noted there was no Turkish flag on display.

Israeli Defense Minister expected in Ankara this weekend

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is expected to head to Ankara
this weekend for talks with Turkish leaders, his office said Tuesday
as tensions between the longstanding allies spiked again. Barak is
scheduled to meet with President Abdullah Gul, Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu and senior military officials on Sunday, an official in
Barak’s office told Agence France-Presse.

Meanwhile, Israeli ministry sources said Monday that Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman was trying to stop Barak from visiting Turkey next
week in order to keep up the recent tensions between the two allied
countries as well as prevent Turkey from resuming its role as mediator
in Israel’s peace talks with Syria, reported daily Haaretz.

"We get the sense that Lieberman wants to heat things up before
Barak’s visit," a senior Foreign Ministry source said. "All the recent
activities were part of Lieberman’s political agenda."

The Turkish government was expected to give a warm welcome to Barak,
who alongside Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer was looking to
bring the allies’ relations back to stability