English: Covering the Gaza girl killed by Israeli forces in the Israeli assault on Gaza Strip 08-09. Day 14 of the assault. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Map of Israel, the Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip), the Golan Heights, and portions of neighbouring countries. Also United Nations deployment areas in countries adjoining Israel or Israeli-held territory, as of January 2004.. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Panorama di Gaza City (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
IDF soldiers who boarded the Mavi Marmara ship in order to enforce the maritime closure on Gaza, were met with a violent mob armed with clubs, slingshots, saws, knives, and used live fire against the IDF soldiers. Pictured here: Buzz saws found on the deck of the Mavi Marmara. The buzz saws were used to cut metal poles that were to be used to attack the Israeli Navy soldiers. For more information: wp.me/ppbEs-rM (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mavi Marmara (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mavi Marmara (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A map of the Gaza Strip (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Map showing the West Bank and Gaza Strip in relation to central Israel (situation of 2007) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Principal geographical features of Israel and south-eastern Mediterranean region (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Turkeys in Folsom (Photo credit: rckenned)
Map of Israel, the Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip), the Golan Heights, and portions of neighbouring countries. Also United Nations deployment areas in countries adjoining Israel or Israeli-held territory, as of January 2004. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Foreign Policy of Turkey: Israeli apology to Turkey
-DR. ABDUL RUFF
____________
A noted fascist democracy, Israel refuses to let the Palestinians live in Palestine even after the UN approved its statehood defacto.
President Obama has proven no less arrogant than his predecessor Bush Jr.
Perhaps, fascist Israel enjoying US escort for its crimes across the globe, never had expected that its attack on Turkish aidship Mavi Marmara going to Gaza strip in 2010, killing of nine Turkish citizens, peace activists, onboard the ship would badly shatter its ties with Turkey.
Turkey has been eager to free Gaza strip from Zionist terror blockades. The Mavi Marmara, part of a flotilla carrying more than 600 passengers from 35 countries to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestine, was intercepted by Israeli soldiers on May 31, 2010, resulting in the killing of nine peace activists. One of those killed, 19-year old Furkan Dogan, was also a United States citizen.
However, even then Americans did not raise the issue on the UNSC because their spoiled terror children from Israel have committed the crimes. On the contrary, America shamelessly used their veto to protect Israeli criminals.
Turkey sought open apology from fascist Israel for its attack on aidship. Since Israel unlawfully intercepted the ship in international waters and later refused to apologize for the killings, Turkey froze bilateral diplomatic relations, recalled its ambassador, and expelled the Israeli ambassador in Ankara.
Backed by CIA-Pentagon duo, Israel however boldly refused to apologise to Turkey as demanded by Istanbul for so long thinking that USA would pressure Turkey to forget about the incident and resume the tires without formal apologies.
Together with Turkey’s criticism of illegal settlement activities and the siege of Gaza, the incident drove Turkish-Israeli relations to their lowest level in many years.
Separation of Turkey from Israel caused deepening isolation for Zionism in the wake of the Arab revolutions. Israel pressured USA and EU to bring back Turkey into Israeli orbit. Several attempts to resolve the crisis in bilateral relations failed. Israel offered “regrets,” rather than a formal apology, and agreed to pay reparations, but refused to lift the Gaza siege. Turkey’s government has been under intense pressure from the US and Europe to restore normal relations with Israel. Turkey put forward three conditions: a formal apology, reparations for the families of those killed and the lifting of the siege of Gaza.
Turkey’s principled position has now paid off. The apology comes with an agreement to pay compensation to the families and a promise to lift the blockade of Gaza for civilian goods. Israel has taken some steps recently, although much more work remains to be done in order to ease Palestinians’ daily plight.
After nearly three years of political tension, aggressive diplomatic manoeuvring, and back-channel negotiations, Israel has formally apologized to Turkey for the attacking Mavi Marmara and killing Turkish citizens onboard in 2010. But now Israel has realized the cost it pays for antagonizing a military ally Turkey that used to buy its terror equipment, and is eager to reset Turkish ties. An apology costs nothing and hence the apology.
On behalf of the Turkish people, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accepted Israel’s apology. This is a major Turkish victory for a principled foreign policy pursued through smart diplomacy. By accepting the Israeli apology, Erdogan has affirmed that his criticisms are directed at Israeli policies, not at the existence of Israel or the Jewish people. He is a strong supporter of a two-state solution for both Jews and Palestinians, and is the first Muslim leader to wrongly call anti-Semitism a crime against humanity.
Turkey, while recognizing the state of Israel, supports Palestinians’ aspiration for independence, security, and dignity, and holds that this is vital for peace and stability in the Middle East more broadly.
US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and their team played a crucial role in brokering the apology and it is considered, for which they deserve credit. This was an important victory for USA as well since Turkey and Israel are its key allies in the Middle East.
No apology will bring back the victims. Public anger in Turkey over the killing of fellow citizens in international waters will not dissipate easily. Beyond that, the obstacles to full normalization of bilateral ties include the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the moribund peace process, and the dimming prospects for an independent and viable Palestinian state, based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Given its deepening isolation in the wake of the Arab revolutions, apology was a timely move for Israel. However, Israel’s apology has the potential to open a new chapter in Turkish-Israeli relations, new opportunities for the Middle East peace process provided Israel is interested in it and Western powers promote that.
Given Zionist criminal records, however, it will take time to reset Turkish-Israeli relations. The resetting of Turkish-Israeli relations would be meaningless if it is only to help Israel attack besieged Palestinians more authoritatively. This is important to build on this Israeli-USA diplomatic momentum to make the region tension free.
Apart from working to improve bilateral relations, Turkey would continue to support the Palestinian people and all efforts to find a just, viable, and comprehensive resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict — a goal that, once achieved, will benefit all countries in the Middle East.
Obama must now pursue Palestine centred foreign policy. Instead of behaving like super rogue hampering peace process, USA must speed up the process of creation of an independent Palestine state.
FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES 