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TURKEY WANTS TO REPAIR ISRAELI TIES, SAY EXPERTS
Hurriyet
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-presence-at-holocaust-meet-in-israel-hailed-as-gesture-2010-12-29
Dec 29 2010
Turkey
A high-level Turkish diplomat's attendance and participation
in a Holocaust meeting in Israel this month is a good sign for
Turkish-Israeli relations, according to experts. Turkish officials have
downplayed the meeting, saying the decision to send a representative
to the international meeting had more to do with Turkey's stance on
genocide than with trying to fix bilateral ties
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AP photo
Turkey dispatched a senior diplomat to attend a Holocaust meeting in
Israel this month, a move some observers saw as a diplomatic gesture
to repair severely strained ties between the longtime allies.
"The government has taken a good step. We don't have an ambassador
in Israel, but we have an embassy; that means our relations with the
country continue," former Turkish Foreign Ministry diplomat İlter
Turkmen told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review, saying the
Turkish presence at the meeting in Haifa was a "gesture" from Ankara
to Tel Aviv.
"The presence shows normal relations are continuing," Turkmen said.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said Wednesday that
the country's "participation in the meeting is in line with Turkey's
principles on the issues of racism, xenophobia and genocide," adding
that the meeting was not a bilateral one and the Turkish presence
should not be seen as a diplomatic gesture to Israel.
Turkish diplomat Ertan Tezgör participated as an observer in the Dec.
13-16 meeting in Haifa, which was organized by the International
Holocaust Task Force, or ITF, Unal said.
Tezgör's attendance at the meeting was warmly welcomed in Israeli
diplomatic circles, where it was seen as a positive step.
"We are very much pleased with Turkey's participation," Israeli
Embassy spokesman Amit Zarouk told the Daily News.
Analysts speaking with the Daily News agreed with former diplomat
Turkmen that the dispatching of Tezgör to the Holocaust meeting
was an attempt to mend fences with Tel Aviv. "Turkey does not want
to dismantle all its bridges with Israel and it cannot do so," said
Professor Huseyin Bagcı of Middle East Technical University in Ankara.
"The relations between Turkey and Israel are exceeding the Turkish
prime minister and the foreign minister," Bagcı said. "Turkish-Israeli
relations cannot be minimized to the ruling Justice and Development
Party [AKP]. They have political, cultural and historical aspects."
Turkey previously declared it would not boycott Israel at international
platforms despite the setback in the bilateral relationship following
Israel's deadly May 31 attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. In
an exception to this statement, Ankara refused in October to send
any delegation to a tourism conference held by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development in Jerusalem due specifically to
the situation in that city. European countries including Spain and
Britain also shunned the tourism conference, arguing the gathering
would lend international legitimacy to Israel's claim to the entire
Holy City as its capital.
Turkish participation in the Haifa event was not a surprise, according
to Sabri Sayarı of Istanbul's private Sabancı University, who said
the Turkish government was doing its best to show up at meetings
dealing with the Holocaust, genocide or anti-Semitism.
"I don't consider this visit as an attempt to normalize relations but
rather to make Turkey's case stronger in the face of Armenian genocide
allegations," Sayarı said, referring to Ankara's attempts to block
European and U.S. legislative resolutions recognizing Armenian claims
of genocide.
Turkish-Israeli relations are deadlocked, Sayarı said, adding that
the ties would either become frozen or the two sides would find a
way out of the current crisis.
Ankara insists the Israeli government deliver an apology and
compensation after the death of eight Turks and one U.S. citizen of
Turkish descent in the Israeli commando raid on the aid flotilla. On
Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey's expectations
from Israel in order to normalize relations remained the same.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ruled out making
an apology to Turkey over the raid. "We will not apologize but [will]
express our regrets to Turkey," Netanyahu said in an interview with
private television network Channel 10. The Israeli leader's comments
came a day after his right-wing Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman
vowed Tel Aviv would not apologize to Turkey for the May 31 raid.
Davutoglu declined to comment on the statements made by Israeli
government officials, saying Turkey's stance is open and clear.
"There has been no change [in our attitude]," he told reporters
in Ankara, adding that Turkey is determined to take any measures
necessary to protect its citizens' rights.
The ITF is an intergovernmental body whose purpose is to rally
the support of political and social leaders behind the need for
Holocaust education, remembrance and research, both nationally and
internationally. Initiated by Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson
in 1998, the task force currently has 28 member states.
From: A. Papazian
Hurriyet
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-presence-at-holocaust-meet-in-israel-hailed-as-gesture-2010-12-29
Dec 29 2010
Turkey
A high-level Turkish diplomat's attendance and participation
in a Holocaust meeting in Israel this month is a good sign for
Turkish-Israeli relations, according to experts. Turkish officials have
downplayed the meeting, saying the decision to send a representative
to the international meeting had more to do with Turkey's stance on
genocide than with trying to fix bilateral ties
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AP photo
Turkey dispatched a senior diplomat to attend a Holocaust meeting in
Israel this month, a move some observers saw as a diplomatic gesture
to repair severely strained ties between the longtime allies.
"The government has taken a good step. We don't have an ambassador
in Israel, but we have an embassy; that means our relations with the
country continue," former Turkish Foreign Ministry diplomat İlter
Turkmen told the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review, saying the
Turkish presence at the meeting in Haifa was a "gesture" from Ankara
to Tel Aviv.
"The presence shows normal relations are continuing," Turkmen said.
Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said Wednesday that
the country's "participation in the meeting is in line with Turkey's
principles on the issues of racism, xenophobia and genocide," adding
that the meeting was not a bilateral one and the Turkish presence
should not be seen as a diplomatic gesture to Israel.
Turkish diplomat Ertan Tezgör participated as an observer in the Dec.
13-16 meeting in Haifa, which was organized by the International
Holocaust Task Force, or ITF, Unal said.
Tezgör's attendance at the meeting was warmly welcomed in Israeli
diplomatic circles, where it was seen as a positive step.
"We are very much pleased with Turkey's participation," Israeli
Embassy spokesman Amit Zarouk told the Daily News.
Analysts speaking with the Daily News agreed with former diplomat
Turkmen that the dispatching of Tezgör to the Holocaust meeting
was an attempt to mend fences with Tel Aviv. "Turkey does not want
to dismantle all its bridges with Israel and it cannot do so," said
Professor Huseyin Bagcı of Middle East Technical University in Ankara.
"The relations between Turkey and Israel are exceeding the Turkish
prime minister and the foreign minister," Bagcı said. "Turkish-Israeli
relations cannot be minimized to the ruling Justice and Development
Party [AKP]. They have political, cultural and historical aspects."
Turkey previously declared it would not boycott Israel at international
platforms despite the setback in the bilateral relationship following
Israel's deadly May 31 attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. In
an exception to this statement, Ankara refused in October to send
any delegation to a tourism conference held by the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development in Jerusalem due specifically to
the situation in that city. European countries including Spain and
Britain also shunned the tourism conference, arguing the gathering
would lend international legitimacy to Israel's claim to the entire
Holy City as its capital.
Turkish participation in the Haifa event was not a surprise, according
to Sabri Sayarı of Istanbul's private Sabancı University, who said
the Turkish government was doing its best to show up at meetings
dealing with the Holocaust, genocide or anti-Semitism.
"I don't consider this visit as an attempt to normalize relations but
rather to make Turkey's case stronger in the face of Armenian genocide
allegations," Sayarı said, referring to Ankara's attempts to block
European and U.S. legislative resolutions recognizing Armenian claims
of genocide.
Turkish-Israeli relations are deadlocked, Sayarı said, adding that
the ties would either become frozen or the two sides would find a
way out of the current crisis.
Ankara insists the Israeli government deliver an apology and
compensation after the death of eight Turks and one U.S. citizen of
Turkish descent in the Israeli commando raid on the aid flotilla. On
Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey's expectations
from Israel in order to normalize relations remained the same.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ruled out making
an apology to Turkey over the raid. "We will not apologize but [will]
express our regrets to Turkey," Netanyahu said in an interview with
private television network Channel 10. The Israeli leader's comments
came a day after his right-wing Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman
vowed Tel Aviv would not apologize to Turkey for the May 31 raid.
Davutoglu declined to comment on the statements made by Israeli
government officials, saying Turkey's stance is open and clear.
"There has been no change [in our attitude]," he told reporters
in Ankara, adding that Turkey is determined to take any measures
necessary to protect its citizens' rights.
The ITF is an intergovernmental body whose purpose is to rally
the support of political and social leaders behind the need for
Holocaust education, remembrance and research, both nationally and
internationally. Initiated by Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson
in 1998, the task force currently has 28 member states.
From: A. Papazian