Rebuffing Turkey's demands for an apology, an "impartial" (remember Goldstone?) inquiry, or the end of ties between the two countries after the Fraud Flotilla incident. In the third case, it's not as though Erdogan's Turkey has been much of an ally, anyway.
And as is standard practice, the Turkish foreign minister later claimed he had been misquoted.
"Israel rebuffs Turkish demand for raid apology," from CNN, July 5:
Jerusalem -- "Israel will never apologize for defending its citizens," a high-ranking Israeli government official told CNN Monday, after Turkey reportedly demanded an apology or an inquiry into an Israeli raid on an aid ship that killed nine Turkish citizens.
"Of course we regret the loss of life, but it was not the Israeli side that initiated the violence," the official said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman later rejected Ankara's demand more bluntly.
"We have no intention of apologizing to Turkey," he said, according to the ministry.
Israel is "concerned" about what it sees from Turkey, he said, but added: "These sort of expressions are a part of a Turkish change of direction and a new Turkish policy, which is an internal matter we cannot get involved in."
Hurriyet newspaper quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday as saying that Turkey would "cut off relations" with Israel unless "they either apologize or accept an international commission and its report."
"(The) Israelis have three options: They will either apologize or acknowledge an international-impartial inquiry and its conclusion. Otherwise, our diplomatic ties will be cut off," Davutoglu told Hurriyet early Sunday in an interview on his plane returning from Kyrgyzstan, the newspaper reported.
Jerusalem -- "Israel will never apologize for defending its citizens," a high-ranking Israeli government official told CNN Monday, after Turkey reportedly demanded an apology or an inquiry into an Israeli raid on an aid ship that killed nine Turkish citizens.
"Of course we regret the loss of life, but it was not the Israeli side that initiated the violence," the official said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman later rejected Ankara's demand more bluntly.
"We have no intention of apologizing to Turkey," he said, according to the ministry.
Israel is "concerned" about what it sees from Turkey, he said, but added: "These sort of expressions are a part of a Turkish change of direction and a new Turkish policy, which is an internal matter we cannot get involved in."
Hurriyet newspaper quoted Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday as saying that Turkey would "cut off relations" with Israel unless "they either apologize or accept an international commission and its report."
"(The) Israelis have three options: They will either apologize or acknowledge an international-impartial inquiry and its conclusion. Otherwise, our diplomatic ties will be cut off," Davutoglu told Hurriyet early Sunday in an interview on his plane returning from Kyrgyzstan, the newspaper reported.
The Foreign Ministry later claimed the minister had been misquoted, saying he actually said that without an apology or inquiry, "it will not be possible for our relationship to improve."
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official told CNN that Davutoglu's comments were " a strong warning to Israel," yet did not exactly mean ending relations....
The Arabs already have too much land, virtually all in a state of backward development. They don't need the strip of land called Israel, but that won't stop their puppetmasters in Saudi Arabia from throwing them at the Jews while telling them to thump their Qurans and hope for that paradise prize for martyrdom.
Scope Jerusalem's history free with the Historyscoper and see why history awards Jerusalem and environs to the Jews not Arabs. http://historyscoper.com/tlwjerusalem.html
Why is Israel so scared to make similar demands from Turkey?
Apologies for sending a Trojan boat and risking the lives of our soldiers, or we cut all relationship.
What is tourism to Bodrum worth, when I was there last all I heard was there last all I heard was Ivrit and Russian from Isrealies, more than English. Hotels there were flying Israeli flags.
There is massive trade with raw cotton being turned into designer clothes between the 2 countries, I am sure the raw material could come from India.
Israeli tourists' cancellations of intended trips to Turkey have already cost that nation's economy an estimated $400,000,000. Israeli tourism officials are currently in negotations with Bulgarian authorities to create more amenities to accomodate Israeli tourist's needs in Bulgaria.
The people have spoken. Meanwhile, Muslim countries are trying to create a need to fill the economic vacuum by encouraging Turkish tourism among UAE residents.
It is not only Israeli tourists who should be cancelling trips to Turkey, but all non-Muslims who wish to help put pressure on the Erdogan regime, by causing damage to Turkish tourism, and hence to the Turkish economy, and hence to make sure that Turks understand that an end to Kemalism, and a return to full-throated Islam, will have consequences. Let's see how much they can get from the rich Arabs of the Gulf, and for how long, and under what conditions, and whether or not the traditional Turkish contempt for the Arabs will somehow disappear, or the traditional Arab contempt for Turks as "not-Arabs" will remain hidden.
And one more thing.
For more than fifty years Turkey has managed, because it sent 5,400 troops to the Korean conflict, to become a member of NATO, which is essentialy made up of non-Muslim states of Western Europe and North America. For a while Turkey was useful, because Turkey saw the Soviet Union as Russia, its hereditary enemy, and for a while, too, the Dulles brothers' view of Islam, naive and blinkered, that "Islam is a bulwark against Communism," prevailed. But the Cold War is over. The listening posts in Turkey, and the airbases in Turkey, are not necessary for use against the Soviet Union, and Turkey will not let us use them in the mighty contests to come with the fordes of Islam -- so Turkey is a weight, a burden.
One way to help make sure that Erdogan does not survive the next election is to start talking now about the obvious. What's the obvious? Oh, that Turkey will never ever be allowed into the E.U., because the potential for Turkey to "revert" to Islam has been demonstrated to everyone's satisfaction, and even Erdogan's defeat will not efface or erase that realization.
And what else is, or should be, obvious?
That Turkey does not belong in NATO. It should be regarded as a security threat, as part of the problem, not part of any solution or, rather, "solution." Even its officer corps can no longer be trusted, since the supporters of Erdogan have prevented the generals from removing those they regard with suspicion, for being too enthusiasticlaly fervent about Islam, as they did, without hesitation, in the past. The Turkish military, that is, can no longer be trusted. And it can no longer be entrusted with advanced Western military equipment or know=how.
Everything has changed, or rather, the recognition of what Islam is in Turkey, the ideology which has the majority of Turks permanently in thrall, even if there is a layer of Turkish society that inhabits something like the same moral and intellectual universe as Western Man -- but that layer turns out to be too thin, and we've been skating on that secularist ice just a bit too complacently for our own good.
I'd expect Arab Davutoglugluglu and Recep the Arab Erdoclown to come up with this anyway... If diplomatic relations between Arabia-whose-arabs-pretend-they-are-not-arabs and Israel come to an end, expect the former to blame Israel's current government. Erdoclown, since the flotilla terrorist incident, has said repeatedly that what Anatolian Arabs want is to bring down the Netanyahu-Lieberman coalition government, and see a good dhimmi administration, willing to throw itself to the wolves, in its place.
I am still waiting for someone in the media to notice that Turkey has been occupying Cyprus for over 30 years. Don't like the Israelis occupying the Westbank? Pot meet Kettle. Get the hell out of Cyprus and then you might have a leg to stand on.
Cyprus is a member of NATO too but somehow NATO didn't come to its aid when it was invaded.
No, NATO did not stop the invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces.
Nor did the West help the Christians of southern Nigeria when they attempted, after enduring years of violence from Muslims in central and northern Nigeria, to declare the independent state of Biafra. During that conflict only two countries -- Israel and Ghana -- helped the Christians of Biafra. The West did not want to do anything that might interrupt the flow of oil, or break up the "largest black country in the world" as if that were important even if many of the people no longer wished to endure the colonial borders set by the British and, hence, Muslim domination. And the Egyptian MIGS strafed Igbo villages without any worry that the helpless villagers below could do anything to stop them.
And for nearly forty years, the Muslim Arabs of northern Sudan have been making war on the Christians (and animists) of the southern Sudan. About 2.5 million people in the south have died as a result of this Jihad. From the Western world, nothing but the appointment, by the U.N., of a special rapporteur, M. Biro.
This list could be extended, but there's no need. It would merely depress further. For nearly a half-century the West has been ignoring what Muslim polities, and peoples, have done to non-Muslim lands and non-Muslim peoples.
I've got an issue with their arab occupation of Constantinople too... And, as one would expect from any arab occupation, this one has also brought about the typically ayrab/mahoundian neglect of historical sites, which will have ayrab-occupied Constantinople removed from UNESCO's World Heritage sites as the Greek, Roman and Byzantine sites in the city are either poorly maintained, or left to crumble and fall apart or turned into unofficial dumpsters.
Such neglect, or contempt for all things non-mahoundian, can also be seen in the coastal village of Olympus, near Antalya, where a 2200-year-old Greek graveyard is covered in garbage; and also in Cappadocia, inside cave dwellings and places of worship, on the paintings of Christian saints whose faces have been scratched out (for that most obvious mahoundian reason.) I've seen it all with my own eyes.
The whole worlds gone nuts led by the media!
Naturally the BBCworld is beating up on this big as well.
The media should be holding Turkeys apology demands up to ridicule!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMJATBMebj8
YOU OWE US AN APOLOGY
From Islam's birth we subjected you
To centuries of attack
But when we threatened Byzantium
You had the nerve to strike back
So
You owe us an apology
You owe us an apology
For robbing us of victory
You owe us an apology
We kill your soldiers as savagely
And cunningly as we can
But don't forget the appalling tale
That they abused a Koran
See?
You owe us an apology
You owe us an apology
It wasn't true, but c'est la vie
You owe us an apology
Small things can provoke us greatly
A speech, a novel, a cartoon
If we've held no riots lately
Rest assured
We'll stage some soon
We're always ready to list your sins
And promises you've not kept
So even when we're the ones at fault
You might as well just accept
That
You owe us an apology
You owe us an apology
No matter if you disagree
You owe us an apology
For living un-Islamically
You owe us an apology
Today and all eternity
You owe us an apology.
You will find, in today's New York Times, a gushing and gullible report on the fantastic strides Turkey is making, with its economy booming, and a growth rate second only to that of China, and so on and so predictably forth. The real story of what has happened to the Turkish economy under Erdogan is a lot more complicated and not quite as impressive as the breathless reporter appears to think, but what is of greatest interest is his question about whether Turkey needs Europe (that is, the E.U.), as much as Europe needs Turkey. That shows a misunderstanding of what the admission of Turkey, and its 75 million Muslims (along with any of those who, as fellow Muslims from other countries, might be allowed to acquire Turkish citizenship -- perhaps in some cases paid for -- in order to move freely about the cabin of Europe) would mean for Europe as a culture, as a civilization.
That kind of thing, apparently, is beyond the ken, the scope, the wit, of such people as this Times reporter.
Eurabia project advances at an increasing speed;
After the historical, national Europe is banished from the EU there will be no valid argument for keeping Turkey from overtaking the vacant place.
They have discovered there is an oil reserve under Israel. Arab oil is running out (one reason their global jihad went after oil-rich countries if Africa so completely). Since they failed to use their oil revenues to improve their own people/society but used it for global jihad (yes, they've been planning for decades), they are eager to claim lands for Islam for their resources. The whole exterminate the Jews and Christians as Muhammad did just puts a religious slant to global plunder.
"Israel will never apologize for defending its citizens"
APOLOGIZE???!!! Turkey can take a flying leap ...
Turkey should apologize for MAKING such an asinine request.
"(The) Israelis have three options: They will either apologize or acknowledge an international-impartial inquiry and its conclusion. Otherwise, our diplomatic ties will be cut off," Davutoglu told Hurriyet early Sunday in an interview on his plane returning from Kyrgyzstan, the newspaper reported.
.................
It's abundantly obvious that Turkey had a strategy with the Jihad flotilla. They knew the Israelis could not win no matter how they responded in today's insane climate—either the ships would be allowed to break the blockade, allowing arms to flood into Gaza; or Israel would defend herself in some manner, and Turkey would hence have an excuse to threaten cutting diplomatic ties.
It actually looks as though Turkey may have it both ways—have a convenient excuse to break off ties with Israel—always awkward in the Muslim world, and increasingly despised under the increasing Islamization under Erdogan—*and* a catalyst to pressure Israel to "ease" the Gaza blockade—no matter what a threat it presents to Israel and her citizens.
I have been to Turkey in the past (on a professional basis) but lost all desire to return as a tourist after reading Peter Balakian's "The Burning Tigris" and noting that the DK tourism guide for Turkey covers Anatolia and the Black Sea Region extensively while mentioning neither its Greek or Armenian former inhabitants, their history or ancient cultures included, ONCE.
I have also been to Germany; but at least the Germans admit their nation's crimes, don't cover them up, and have made an effort to civilize themselves following the Holocaust.
The DK guides are hideous whenever any of their publications -- even the things put out for children -- has to do with Islam or a Muslim country. You should see how they cover Israel, "occupied territories" and all. I don't buy DK products.
Can someone explain to me what is so awful about not having Turkey as a friend/ally/diplomatic relation? Israel should say, "Yes, please do break off relations with us."
Turks are one of the most worthless people in the world. Typical muslims that refuse to assimulate into the societies of other countries they move into! Turkey and Erdogan should appologize to Israel for breaching it's security and for sending terrorists on it's ships! Israel has nothing to appologize for! No muslims should be allowed into the West and into Decent Societies. If a people want to worship Satan/Allah, then they do it in their trash countries and not in the West! When muslims allow Christians to worship and build churches in their countries, then, maybe, we will think about letting them out of their Pig Pens!
Israel, keep calling the Turks' bluff. If Turkey cuts diplomatic ties, end ALL economic trade and military cooperation. It will be for the better. Welcome ALL Kurdish Resistance groups and encourage the creation of others. Relentlessly train Kurdish fighters, commandos, saboteaurs, create and arm the largest and the ablest guerilla army in world history. Equip them with the most advanced anti-tank and ani-aircraft portable missles and send them to fight against Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. Back the all-out fight untill the whole Kurdistan is liberated. Iran, Turkey and the Arabs will refuse to recognize the independent Kurdistan, of course. All the better. This will ensure Kurdistan's loyalty to Israel, because it will not be able to turn to anyone else for support and trade. Also, aid the Lebanese Resistance to liberate the Christian Lebanon. Even the Druze lands should be liberated from Lebanon and Syria, and the independent Druzistan created alongside Israel, Kurdistan, and Christian Lebanon. Vola! An entire cluster of allied countries created around Israel. Try anyone take on this alliance!
The next stage: Israel go directly to war on Turkey & liberate Constantinople & the rest of the European land possessions of Turkey. Expell the Turks & let the Greeks in. Let the Christian Greeks run their own civilian government there, but maintain your own total military rule, controlling the Straights from the Black Sea to the Mediterranian.
Ruslan Tokhchukov, EnragedSince1999.