Israel's last-minute apology

By Salman Ansari Javid

In a last minute bid to evade souring bilateral relations with Turkey, Israeli deputy foreign minister on Wednesday night issued a formal apology over the lack of diplomatic protocols in treating the country’s ambassador.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul had earlier threatened to withdraw the ambassador from Israel if no apology had been forthcoming. At first the Deputy Minister, Daniel Ayalon, refused. However, after growing tensions and diplomatic pressures Ayalon handed a letter of apology to the ambassador on Wednesday night.

After reviewing the letter, Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared the Turkish foreign ministry had received “the expected, desired answer.”

Earlier on Monday Ayalon summoned Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, the Turkish ambassador, to receive a formal protest over the portrayal of Israel in a television drama shown in Turkey.

The Turkish TV show called “Valley of the Wolves,” is broadcast on a privately run channel.

In the show Israeli agents try to abduct and convert Muslim children. When confronted with the police one Israeli agent holds a mother and her daughter as a shield. Press TV’s coverage of the show, depicting the scene where the police shoots the Israeli agent in the head, splattering his blood on a wall with an Israeli flag, saving the hostages.

Ayalon, like the Zionist regime’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, is a member of the far-right nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party. He called the Turkish diplomat into his office and made him sit on a low sofa.

Ayalon perched on a higher chair, while the table between the two men carried an Israeli, but no Turkish, flag. According to Israeli media reports, Ayalon then turned to the assembled journalists and said in Hebrew: “We just want it to be seen that he is seated below us and that there is only one flag here, and as you can see, we are not smiling.”

The Turkish ambassador does not speak or understand Hebrew. During this meeting Ayalon refused to serve refreshments or to accede to a videographer’s request that he and the ambassador shake hands on camera.

In a reconciliation effort on Tuesday, Ayalon issued a statement saying it was not his way to “disrespect the ambassador’s honor.” However, this statement was too far and short for Turkey, which had given Israel a Wednesday night deadline for a formal apology.

With Lieberman under the shadow of a possible indictment for corruption, Ayalon, a former ambassador to Washington, was viewed as a probable successor. Now, this seems unlikely.

Deteriorating ties

This diplomatic row is a symptom of a broader deterioration of the bilateral ties between Israel and Turkey. Israel considers Turkey, a NATO member, a rare regional and Muslim ally. Trade and tourism, along with military and security cooperation has been deteriorating in recent years with the rise of Islamic-inspired Justice and Development Party, or AKP, which has led to renewed ties with Turkey’s neighbors to the east, including the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In his recent visit to Iran, Erdogan has expressed support for Iran’s pursuit of its peaceful nuclear program and has argued that the West follows a double standard by ignoring Israel’s nuclear arsenal.

Turkey has also expressed its support for Iran’s participation in the Nabucco gas pipeline project which will deliver natural gas from the Persian Gulf and Caspian region to Europe, transiting via Turkey.

Last autumn, Turkey barred Israel from joining NATO military exercises held on its territory.

Turkey has consistently criticized Israel for its conduct in the 33-day 2008-9 Gaza war and its continued siege of the Gaza Strip, depriving the citizens of critical medical and food supplies.

Relations between the countries became strained last year after Erdogan walked out of a panel discussion with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

When Erdogan returned home from Davos the Turkish people gave him a hero’s welcome.

During a more recent press conference on Monday, with the visiting Lebanese Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, Erdogan said Israelis “have disproportionate capabilities and power, and they use them.” He added, “They do not abide by UN resolutions,” and said, “They say they will do what they like.”

Even when accepting the Israeli apology on Thursday Erdogan told a news conference: “Israel must put itself in order and it must be more just and more on the side of peace in the region.”

If the ties between Israel and Tureky had severed, Israel would have been the real loser as it is already isolated in the region and can desperately use good ties with Turkey, a country with a significant clout in the region.

In eventuality, this apology will not mend the strained bilateral relations because of the Turkish people, who have been deeply offended after local TV channels showed Monday’s meeting. Moreover, the Israeli war crimes and continued siege of Gaza is another obstacle towards better ties.

Photo: Daniel Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, called Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, the Turkish ambassador, into his office and made him sit on a low sofa.

Source: Tehran Times.
Link: http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=212211.