Officials: Turkey humiliating Israel
Officials: Turkey humiliating Israel – Israel News, Ynetnews.
Despite Israeli apology for Marmara raid, Ankara yet to fulfill its end of reconciliation deal. ‘Time to make Ankara pay diplomatic price for its nasty behavior,’ top official says
Shimon Shiffer
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Despite the fact that Israel apologized to Turkey over the Mavi Marmara incident some three months ago, Ankara has yet to fulfill any of the commitments it took upon itself as part of the reconciliation agreement brokered by US President Barack Obama, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday.
Senior Israeli officials who are familiar with the situation described Turkey’s conduct as humiliating and disrespectful, adding that it exposes IDF soldiers and officers who took part in the 2010 raid on the Gaza-bound Turkish ship to lawsuits by the victims’ families. Nine Turkish nationals were killed during the commando attack on the vessel.
As part of the reconciliation agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erodgan that Israel would compensate the victims’ families and also substantially lift the restrictions on the transfer of goods to Gaza.
Marmara raid (Photo: IDF Spokesman’s Office)
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office at the time said the countries agreed to normalize diplomatic relations, including an exchange of ambassadors. Erdogan, according to the statement, said Turkey would terminate all legal proceedings launched against IDF soldiers who were involved in the raid and would prevent similar legal action in the future.
However, following Netanyahu’s apology, the Turks appeared to be in no hurry to fulfill their end of the deal. Israel agreed to pay $5 million in restitution, while Ankara demanded $40 million. During talks held over the past few days the Turks have expressed their agreement to receive $24 million from Israel, while the Israeli side raised its offer to $14 million – a regular Turkish bazaar.
And if this wasn’t enough, the Turks announced they could not guarantee that IDF soldiers and officers who were involved in the raid, including former IDF Chief Lt.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi, would not be prosecuted, claiming that in Turkey the “executive branch cannot influence the judicial branch.”
According to the Turks, Erdogan cannot act to stop the legal proceedings while anti-government protests are taking place because he does not want his constituents to view him as being pro-Israeli.
In light of Turkey’s conduct, Israel is considering the possibility of exacting a diplomatic price from Ankara with the help of a pro-Israeli Congressman. “After they fed us smelly fish and ran us out of town, it’s time that the Turks pay a price for their nasty behavior,” a senior official said.
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WarSclerotic 
June 26, 2013 at 3:06 PM
Typical tribal behavior : “According to the Turks, Erdogan cannot act to stop the legal proceedings while anti-government protests are taking place because he does not want his constituents to view him as being pro-Israeli.”
Muslim mentalities are so backward. They think like sheep, scared to death of affirming any dissenting idea. Ideas can never change in such countries.
Erdogan is behaving worse than ever recently : do the Iranians or the Russians have a private video of him engaged in a homosexual act or what ?
June 26, 2013 at 4:28 PM
the unrest is against the Islamists not pro Islamist the opposites true
June 26, 2013 at 5:42 PM
Years ago, while on a visit to Istanbul, I told some turkish friends I was right-wing and they thought I was islamist. After clarifying I was meaning pro individual freedom, they said “ok, because in Turkey the right is the conservative, meaning the islamists; while the left is always the left, but they are also secular”. People seems to be amicable to israelis as well, mainly in the coastal areas. So, yes, it’s time to make Erdogan pay the price, hopefully not the turkish people. People is now up against Erdogan..
June 27, 2013 at 3:40 PM
Well, what do you expect from the Turks. They hate freedom. They hate the truth. They won’t miss an opportunity to hurt Israel. Welcome to the new Turkey – anti-Israel, pro-Islam, genocidal (Armenian, Greek, Assyrian genocides in the early 20th century), pro-terrorist, pro-Hamas. Enough said. Having a Kurdish state in the eastern Anatolia is in Israel’s interests.