Israel & Turkey-Restoring Friendship

[fairandbalanced]

JERUSALEM — Israel and Turkey agreed to restore full diplomatic relations on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized in a phone call for a deadly naval raid against a Gaza-bound international flotilla in a dramatic turnaround partly brokered by President Barack Obama.

Joint interests between the two countries, including fears that the Syrian civil war could spill over their respective borders, and some cajoling by Obama made the time ripe to repair the frayed relations after nearly three years of acrimony over the deaths.

It was a surprising turnaround for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had long rejected calls to apologize. He announced the breakthrough after a 20-minute phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Obama helped broker the fence-mending while visiting Israel, but the sides had been reaching out to each other before.

"They agreed to restore normalization between Israel and Turkey, including the dispatch of ambassadors and the cancellation of legal steps against Israeli soldiers," a statement from Netanyahu's office said. Netanyahu "regretted the recent deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey and expressed his commitment to overcoming their differences in order to advance peace and stability in the region," it said.





Israel Apologizes To Turkey Over Flotilla Deaths

 

[Esmeralda]

JERUSALEM — Israel and Turkey agreed to restore full diplomatic relations on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized in a phone call for a deadly naval raid against a Gaza-bound international flotilla in a dramatic turnaround partly brokered by President Barack Obama.

Joint interests between the two countries, including fears that the Syrian civil war could spill over their respective borders, and some cajoling by Obama made the time ripe to repair the frayed relations after nearly three years of acrimony over the deaths.

It was a surprising turnaround for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who had long rejected calls to apologize. He announced the breakthrough after a 20-minute phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Obama helped broker the fence-mending while visiting Israel, but the sides had been reaching out to each other before.

"They agreed to restore normalization between Israel and Turkey, including the dispatch of ambassadors and the cancellation of legal steps against Israeli soldiers," a statement from Netanyahu's office said. Netanyahu "regretted the recent deterioration of relations between Israel and Turkey and expressed his commitment to overcoming their differences in order to advance peace and stability in the region," it said.





Israel Apologizes To Turkey Over Flotilla Deaths

This is great news. Seems no one here is interested in any positive news about the ME. Restoring full diplomatic relations is good. I think that Turkey is being very gracious in accepting the apology.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

I don't think it will restore 'full' relations, maybe on common issues and concerns. They are still very disputed and different on the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Only for common interests they could relate.

 

[Esmeralda]

I don't think it will restore 'full' relations, maybe on common issues and concerns. They are still very disputed and different on the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Only for common interests they could relate.

I didn't think I imagined it. It says in the article quoted in the OP:

JERUSALEM — Israel and Turkey agreed to restore full diplomatic relations ....

"Full diplomatic relations....." So, that is what I was going by in my post. That doesn't mean they are now bosom buddies, and I am fully aware they have differing opinions about Palestine.

 

[Saigon]

I am happy to see this, but its hard to miss the irony in Turkey accepting apologies for civil rights crimes!

Turkey and Israel do need each other, but the basis of that need extends further outwards as well; by extension this story will have a significant impact on Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran and Lebanon.

 

[BecauseIKnow]

I don't think it will restore 'full' relations, maybe on common issues and concerns. They are still very disputed and different on the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Only for common interests they could relate.

I didn't think I imagined it. It says in the article quoted in the OP:

JERUSALEM — Israel and Turkey agreed to restore full diplomatic relations ....

"Full diplomatic relations....." So, that is what I was going by in my post. That doesn't mean they are now bosom buddies, and I am fully aware they have differing opinions about Palestine.

Turkey wants to see a change with Gaza, and they are being more active in being influential with Hamas, I love that. Turkey, Egypt and Qatar give Hamas some kind of backing to influence economic restrictions and improve recognition and quality of life for the government and people in Gaza.

 

[Esmeralda]

I am happy to see this, but its hard to miss the irony in Turkey accepting apologies for civil rights crimes!

Turkey and Israel do need each other, but the basis of that need extends further outwards as well; by extension this story will have a significant impact on Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran and Lebanon.

Seriously, you're going to bash Turkey over Israel? Which one is the bad guy? Which one has committed and continues to commit the most human rights abuses? IMO it's Israel, hands down.


Israel is lucky any ME country chooses to have diplomatic relations with her. She's a bully and a violent, murderous regime.
.

 

[Saigon]

Esmeralda -

I love being in Turkey (it's my usual base for East Africa and the ME), but I will never forgive Turkey's refusal to accept responsibility for the Armenian genocide. It's just wrong.

I love Israel too, and think Israel has a lot in common with countries like Turkey, Lebanon and Tunisia in particular, but of course Israel also needs to commit to civil rights and a peace process in a meaningful way.

I think the two countries are natural allies - but I hope they push each others towards peace, rather than use the alliance to shelter from justice.

 

[Esmeralda]

Esmeralda -

I love being in Turkey (it's my usual base for East Africa and the ME), but I will never forgive Turkey's refusal to accept responsibility for the Armenian genocide. It's just wrong.

I love Israel too, and think Israel has a lot in common with countries like Turkey, Lebanon and Tunisia in particular, but of course Israel also needs to commit to civil rights and a peace process in a meaningful way.

I think the two countries are natural allies - but I hope they push each others towards peace, rather than use the alliance to shelter from justice.

Japan has never accepted responsibilty for the horrible human rights abuses they committed in China. Far more than anything Turkey has done. You think Japan is a vile country too?

 

[Saigon]

Esmeralda -

I don't think Turkey or Japan are vile - I think both are wonderful societies that have taken short cuts with historical truth.

 

[GHook93]

Trade between the two nations has never been effected by arrogantdongon. Even during he high of his hyocritical hate on Israel trade was very high.

Ties remain strained, but Turkey, Israel keep on trading | JPost | Israel News
Even as diplomatic ties chilled during 2010, bilateral trade reached $3.5 billion, up from $1.3 billion just a decade ago. The uptrend has continued into this year. Israel imported some $354 million of Turkish goods in January-February, up from $282 million one year earlier. Meanwhile, Israeli exports to Turkey reached $302 million in the first two months of the year, up from $170 million during the same time in 2010.

Turkey (along with Jordan, UAE and Europe) is huge corridor to Israel breaking the economic boycott against her.

Israel-Iran trade ties thriving - Israel Business, Ynetnews
"Despite what is seen on the ground, the secret relations with Iran total tens of millions of dollars a year," says Yehoshua Meiri, chairman of the Israeli-Arab Friendship Association, which encourages the development of economic relations as an alternative to a peace process.

"Even when harsh statements are made on both sides, business thrives," says Hemeiri. "Relations with the Iranian colleagues are excellent, and political statements are ignored.

"It's safe to say that the commerce could be extended. The past year has even seen relations which include consultation services on engineering and construction of food factories."

Israeli exports to Iran focus on agricultural production means: Organic fertilizers, pierced irrigation pipes, hormones boosting milk productions and seeds.

The Iranians sell the Israelis pistachio, cashew nuts and mainly marble – one of Iran's biggest industries.

Another field the Iranians are obviously interested in is security. In a recent exhibition, Iranian representatives even tried to enter the Israeli booth, which was presenting defensive measures against accidents in nuclear reactors. Haim Siboni, a representative of the Israeli company, noticed their suspicious accent and ordered them to leave.

In November 2000, the Iranian government asked an Israeli company, which built Tehran's sewage pipes 30 years earlier, to visit the country for renovations.


Shortly afterwards, the assistant director-general of Iran's Ministry of Agriculture visited Israel secretly and stayed at the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel. He expressed an interest in purchasing irrigation pipes, pesticides and fertilizers.

 

[Lipush]

"Israel & Turkey-Restoring Friendship"

 

[GHook93]

Esmeralda -

I love being in Turkey (it's my usual base for East Africa and the ME), but I will never forgive Turkey's refusal to accept responsibility for the Armenian genocide. It's just wrong.

I love Israel too, and think Israel has a lot in common with countries like Turkey, Lebanon and Tunisia in particular, but of course Israel also needs to commit to civil rights and a peace process in a meaningful way.

I think the two countries are natural allies - but I hope they push each others towards peace, rather than use the alliance to shelter from justice.

Japan has never accepted responsibilty for the horrible human rights abuses they committed in China. Far more than anything Turkey has done. You think Japan is a vile country too?

Yea the Turks are saints:
(1) Genocide of over 1 million Armenians (which they deny to this day) during WW I..
(2) Ethnic Cleansing of the Kurds and current slaughter of the Kurds.
(3) Blockade and Aggression again Armenia.
(4) Ethnic Cleansing of Christian Turks. Remember Turkey is 99.7% Muslim, so where did their Christians go?
(5) The WORST to date. The occupation, unlawful land grab and ethnic cleansing of Cyprus!