 Mr. Obama - you sit next to a war-mongering enemy! Erdogan seeks war and his agenda is against the interest of ALL countries. U.S. must stop giving them ammunition. That's For Islamic Ottoman empire. and How many Americans are aware of the fact that The United State F-35 military stealth jet is being given/sold to Turkey in 2015 ... while forcing Israel to wait until 2017. Why? Why is the USA giving preferential treatment to an Islamic nation with ties to Iran without considering the consequences to our ally Israel? You might as well be arming Iran! and As Erdogen seeks war in the ME, he should be recognized as an enemy to the West and removed from NATO immediately! and as this is Shabat, a song from Israel..... |
In fresh diatribe, Erdogan threatens to dispatch his warships
After meeting with officials in Egypt, Turkish prime minister visits Tunisia and continues his verbal assault against Israel • Says Turkey's warships can reach the Mediterranean at any moment.
Lior Yacoby and News Agencies
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. Warships on their way to the Mediterranean sea. | Photo credit: Reuters |
Israel cannot do what it wants in the region and “it will see the results of our decisions concerning this matter,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, lashing out yet again with a threatening remark against Israel in what has become an almost daily diatribe against the Jewish state.
On a tour of Middle East countries affected by a wave of revolutions, including Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, Erdogan has lashed out against Israel daily, calling it a “spoiled child,” and saying Israel has “lost its mind.” During his visit in Tunisia on Thursday, Erdogan took another stab at Israel, saying, “Turkey's warships can reach the area at any moment.”
In recent days, the Turkish prime minister has issued a number of warnings directed at Israel, saying that Turkish warships would escort the next flotilla to Gaza, and that Turkey would “do everything” to lift the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip.
When asked on Thursday about future relations between the two countries, Erdogan replied, “Relations with Israel will not be restored until Israel apologizes for its deadly raid on the Gaza flotilla, compensates the families of those killed, and removes the naval blockade on Gaza.”
The three-nation tour to boost Turkey's regional influence comes amid its ongoing diplomatic crisis with Israel, which began following Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in 2008 and reached an all-time low after the publication more than a week ago of a U.N. report on the Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound Turkish ship Mavi Marmara in May 2010, which left nine Turkish nationals dead.
Turkey has continued to demand that Israel apologize for the raid or face diplomatic repercussions and legal action in international courts. Ankara expelled the Israeli ambassador, downgraded diplomatic relations and cut off defense trade ties with Israel. Erdogan told Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo on Tuesday that “Israel lost its mind to the extent that it launched a military operation in international waters against an international flotilla that was carrying toys and games for children [in Gaza]. Israel's aggressive policy is endangering its future.”
Commenting on the rising tensions between Israel and Turkey, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro on Wednesday said, “The U.S. and President Barack Obama are strongly committed to Israel's security.” Like our newsletter? 'Like' our facebook page!
While visiting the Palmachim air force base in Israel, Shapiro stressed that both Israel and Turkey needed to preserve their cooperation, and the U.S. was encouraging both sides to do that. “As Prime Minister Netanyahu has said, Israel and Turkey need to maintain good relations, and we are trying to get them to do that, and end the crisis. We will find a way to mend the current situation,” Shapiro said.
Libya is next
Erdogan is scheduled to travel to Libya on Friday.
Reuters reported on Friday that Aref al-Nayed, the Libyan ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, told a recent meeting of the so-called Libya Contact Group in Istanbul, “We expect the world community to follow the wonderful support of Turkey, its leading role and effort. Turkey has done an amazing job.”
According to Reuters, before rebels ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, Turkey held business contracts with Libya worth $15 billion. Turkish companies doing business in Libya hope the new government will honor pending payments.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron were also told their support might be repaid in business contracts with the oil-rich North African state, according to the report.
Sarkozy and Cameron were given a warm welcome in Benghazi, a Libyan rebel stronghold, on Thursday by cheering crowds. “It's great to be here in free Benghazi and in free Libya,” Cameron said.
