TURKEY DOESN’T NEED ISRAEL ANYMORE

Tert.am
16:38 ~U 20.01.10

The rift in Israeli-Turkish relations is the result of Ankara turning
away from secularism and toward more radical Islam, Israel’s military
intelligence chief said on Tuesday.

In his address to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee,
Israeli military intelligence Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin linked the change
in direction with the one-time allies’ deteriorating relationship,
reports Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

"Turkey no longer needs a close relationship with Israel," a
parliamentary official quoted Yadlin as telling the foreign affairs
committee of the Knesset.

"In the past, Turkey had ambitions of becoming closer to the West,
beyond its acceptance into NATO," Yadlin said. "They wanted to be
part of the European market, and they thought that relations with
Israel would help them advance in the American market. But then they
received a cold shoulder from the Europeans and did not achieve what
they wanted. In light of that, they changed their policies and are
currently drawing away from secularism and going in a more radical
direction. There are still joint strategic interests shared by Turkey
and Israel, but it is not the same strategic proximity that they
once shared."

Yadlin also highlighted Ankara’s growing relationship with Damascus
as a sign that Turkey and Israel were moving further apart. Turkey
recently lifted mutual visa requirements with Syria and a series of
cooperation agreements.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress