TURKEY DOESN’T NEED ISRAEL ANY MORE

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.01.2010 16:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The strategic ties between Israel and Turkey are not
at the same level they were a decade ago, as the latter is no longer
dependent on close cooperation, Israel’s military intelligence chief
has said.

The comments by Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin to the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs
and Defense Committee reflected wider concern in the Jewish state
following a high-profile visit to Turkey by Israeli Defense Minister
Ehud Barak on Sunday that was meant to help mend the relationship
after a sharp diplomatic row.

"There are still common strategic issues between Israel and Turkey,
but it’s not the same strategic closeness that existed in the past. In
the past Turkey acknowledged joint interests, which strengthened the
relationship. For example, in the 1990s, the Turks regarded Syria as
an enemy. There was a joint enemy. However, over the years Turkey and
Syria resolved their differences, and Turkey doesn’t need Israel’s
closeness anymore," Yadlin elaborated.

"In the past they had an interest in securing their Syrian border and
therefore their relations with Israel were strong. In the past Turkey
strove to come closer to the West, beyond joining NATO," he said,
Today’s Zaman reported.