ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER HOODWINKED BY TURKISH P.M. ON “NORMALIZATION”….SEE NOTE
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=gul-puts-de-facto-end-to-oath-taking-crisis-2011-07-10
WAKING UP TO TURKISH TRICKS? SHAME ON ISRAEL FOR FALLING FOR THE PRETENSE OF “ACCOMMODATION AND PEACE”….RSK
Israeli Foreign Minister Slams Turkish PM for Furthering Divide
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of having “shut the door” on reconciliation with Israel and having no intention of normalizing relations.
“It is clear that this person [Erdoğan] is looking not for accommodation, nor peace, nor normalization, but wants to humiliate the State of Israel, sap its international standing and harm our status in the region,” Lieberman told Israel Radio.
“I’m surprised he didn’t also demand that we set the retirement age for women,” the Israeli foreign minister said, referring to a recent domestic political dispute. “He has no intention of arriving at normalization with us. He has shut the door.”
An Israeli official speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News on Sunday said Lieberman’s statement was a direct response to Erdoğan’s harsh statements Friday, but that Israel still seeks to rekindle its ties with Turkey.
Speaking to Turkish Parliament on Friday, Erdoğan repeated his past criticism of Israel over its May 31, 2010, attack on the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, an aid ship that took part in a Gaza-bound flotilla. The raid resulted in the killing of eight Turks and one American of Turkish descent.
“Normalization of relations between the two countries is unthinkable unless Israel apologizes for this illegal act, which is against all international law and values, pays compensation to the relatives of those who lost their lives in this atrocious event and lifts the embargo on Gaza,” Erdoğan said Friday.
“[Lieberman] felt it was necessary to make the statement,” in light of the Turkish prime minister’s comments, the Israeli official said Sunday.
Lieberman’s remarks come as Israel and Turkey failed to reach a consensus during negotiations in New York last week. A UN panel with an Israeli and a Turkish member was set to release a report on the Mavi Marmara incident, but the report has been postponed as the two sides have failed to reach a consensus on the text. Further talks in New York are scheduled to be held at the end of July.
“[Lieberman’s statement] does not shut the door on talks. From our point [of view], we will continue to push to get the relationship to where it was,” the Israeli official said.
Another diplomatic source told the Daily News that talks have not collapsed.
“Talks [for normalization between Turkey and Israel] were in deadlock, but have not collapsed,” a diplomatic source told the Daily News on Sunday, confirming that Lieberman’s statement was just a response to Erdoğan’s remarks on the normalization of relations.
The Turkish prime minister’s statement was seen as “problematic” in Israel and evaluated as “shutting the doors” on the talks, said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.
Fadıl Alirıza contributed to this report from the Daily News’ Istanbul bureau and Sevil Küçükkoşum contributed from the Ankara bureau.
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