SIGNS OF RIFT BETWEEN TURKEY AND ISRAEL?
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Dec 10 2007
Turkey has irked Israel by disqualifying its state company IAI from
a major spy satellite tender while the Jewish state has turned down
Ankara’s request to open a Turkish Cypriot representative office in
Tel Aviv creating speculation that relations between the two countries
may not be so warm after all.
According to Israeli daily Haaretz Israel told a visiting Greek
Cypriot minister that it has decided to reject Turkey’s request to
open a Turkish Cypriot trade representation office in Tel Aviv.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul had asked President Shimon Peres for
approval for such an office during Peres’ visit to Ankara last month.
Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also asked Peres to examine
the possibility of operating air and sea traffic between Israel and
Famagusta in North Cyprus.
Syria has facilitated a similar Turkish request allowing ferry services
between Famagusta and Latakia. The Greek Cypriots have opposed the
move and have made numerous attempts to halt the services. However,
the Syrians refused the Greek Cypriot requests.
Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, who visited
Israel last week, told Haaretz that Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi
Livni told her Israel would reject Turkey’s requests.
Haaretz said Israeli officials confirmed this. "We are aware of the
sensitivities and have no intention of deviating from the accepted
UN position," the paper quoted an Israeli official as saying.
Kozakou-Marcoullis officially visited Israel to be briefed on
developments in the peace process and to explore bilateral relations.
Unofficially, according to sources involved in her visit, she also
wanted to ensure Greek Cyprus was not harmed by the expanding relations
between Israel and Turkey.
Meanwhile, Turkey said it will to continue negotiations for Gokturk
spy satellite project with German, Italian and British companies
while Israeli IAI was disqualified.
Sources close to the Defense Industry Executive Committee said the
reluctance of the Israeli side to provide images through the Israeli
system played a role in this decision.
There were reports that Israeli officials including President Peres
had lobbied on behalf of the IAI.
Turkish-Israeli relations have had its ups and downs recently.
Turks were angered when the powerful Jewish organization
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) supported claims of an Armenian
genocide. Then came the news that Israeli jets had raided Syrian
targets while dropping fuel tanks in Turkish territory.
Israel apologized for the incident while the ADL said it did not
support a resolution at the U.S. House of Representatives supporting
claims that Ottoman Turks had committed genocide against Armenians.
Things seemed to return to normal when President Peres visited
Ankara. However, the latest incidents seem to suggest the ups and
downs in Turkish-Israeli relations continue.