Israel says Turkey ties warm; analysts skeptical
Sun Jan 17,2010 | ANKARA, Turkey – Israel's defense minister said Sunday that a daylong visit to Turkey had helped end an ugly diplomatic feud but analysts expressed skepticism that the trip would ease tensions rising since Israel's Gaza war.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters that the countries had moved beyond a disagreement that erupted after Israel's deputy foreign minister deliberately humiliated the Turkish ambassador to express anger over an anti-Israeli show on Turkish television.
Israel apologized, and Barak said at a joint news conference with Turkey's defense minister that, "I believe it was a mistake, and the right step was taken according to the norms of diplomacy."
"It is appropriate that all the ups and downs in our relationship over the years should be solved and put behind us," Barak said.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was satisfied with Barak's description of the humiliation as a mistake and said Turkey would not pursue the issue further.
Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul did not address the diplomatic spat directly and said the two countries had common interests but delivered an assessment of the relationship that Israeli analysts saw as lukewarm at best.
"We are strategic allies as long as our interests force us to do so," said the minister, who is not a fluent English speaker. "We are living in the same area. Although we don't have common borders, we have the same interests."
Turkish Defense Ministry officials could not be reached for comment on the his choice of words. But Israeli analysts described the remark as evidence that relations were not back to what they were.
"The honeymoon days of the '90s are over and will not return," said defense analyst Alon Ben-David, reporting from Ankara for Israel's Channel 10 TV.
Turkish analysts said they doubted that Turkey was prepared to back away from its harsh criticism of Israel's offensive in Gaza a year ago, a conflict that threatened the military and economic alliance between the two countries.
"It is not possible for relations to return to the warm level they were at up until recently," said Ali Tekin, an assistant professor of international relations at Ankara's Bilkent University.
Dogu Ergil, a former political science professor at Ankara University and a columnist for Zaman newspaper, said neither country was ready to break off ties but Turkey wanted to keep relations at a low profile.
"Turkey's preference is for relations to be interest-driven rather than fraternal," Ergil said.
Barak was the first Israeli official to visit Turkey since the feud erupted Jan. 11 after Israel's deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, summoned the Turkish ambassador to complain about a TV show depicting Israeli agents kidnapping children and shooting old men.
The ambassador, Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, was forced to sit on a low sofa without a handshake, while Ayalon told local TV stations that the humiliation was intentional. Outraged, Turkey threatened to recall the ambassador, forcing Ayalon to apologize.
Gonul said Turkey and Israel had completed seven out of 13 military projects, including the upgrade of F-4 and F-5 jets. Israel is to deliver 10 Heron unmanned aircraft to Turkey in the first half of this year, Gonul added. Turkey hopes to use the drones to monitor Kurdish rebel hideouts.
No new projects were announced Sunday, but Gonul said Turkey and Israel were looking to jointly upgrade M-60 battle tanks in Turkey for other countries.
In a goodwill gesture, Barak asked his personal photographer to take a picture of him with Celikkol during the visit, the state-run Anatolia news agency said. Celikkol had traveled to Ankara for Barak's visit.
Hours before Barak's departure, Ayalon said the Turkish ambassador could be expelled if Turkish TV dramas continue to depict Israeli security forces as brutal.
In Israel on Sunday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman criticized the way Ayalon handled the protest, but defended its substance.
"We don't seek conflicts, but we will stand our ground," Lieberman said at a Jerusalem news conference.
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Associated Press Writer Selcan Hacaoglu in Ankara contributed to this report. Vids inserted by editor.
