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Israel's wooing of Turkey is as silly as America's wooing of Iran

Reader comment on item: Normalizing relations with Israel up to Erdogan
in response to reader comment: Greece vs. Turkey

Submitted by Anon (Israel), Dec 17, 2015 at 04:57

From the same article : "Turkish President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that "the entire region would benefit from normalization of ties" between Israel and Turkey.

"So much in the region could benefit from a process of normalization ," he said, adding, "we have set three conditions: an apology – made; compensation – that has not happened, and ending the blockade on the Palestinians. If the issue of compensation and the closure will be resolved, we will enter a process of normalization."

Erdogan was making reference to an apology and an agreement for reparations made in March, 2013, at the behest of US President Barack Obama, who was then visiting Israel.

Almost immediately, a senior Israeli official rejected the approach, saying "we have nothing to talk about so long as he continues to set these conditions. Its impossible."

Netanyahu rival and former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned that "normalization with Turkey would be viewed negatively by #Russia, #Greece & #Cyprus.""

I doubt anything good could possibly come out of chasing after Turkey and from viewing an agreement as leading to bigger and better things in the future. Turkey's course is set. I worry that Israel will damage its relations with Greece, Cyprus and Russia in a vain and misguided attempt to build bridges with Erdogan's Turkey. Turkey's demands should be firmly rejected. Moreover, I doubt Israel can count on any diplomatic promises Turkey might make.

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Reader comments (9) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Turkey and Israel [158 words]r walterJan 11, 2016 16:51227583
It looks more likely that Israel will work with Cyprus and Greece than with Turkey [376 words]Michael SJan 28, 2016 20:09227583
5Greece vs. Turkey [486 words]Michael SDec 15, 2015 16:37227082
2Israel's wooing of Turkey is as silly as America's wooing of Iran [236 words]AnonDec 17, 2015 04:57227082
It's all tactical [193 words]Michael SDec 21, 2015 14:46227082
Lieberman would know how Russia would view it [95 words]Anon.Dec 28, 2015 13:05227082
They're both snakes. [302 words]Michael SDec 30, 2015 04:29227082
4My prediction: Turkey will play hardball and negotiate from a position of strength [85 words]Anon.Dec 15, 2015 15:56227081
1Nobody trusts anyone [359 words]Michael SDec 20, 2015 08:27227081

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