(Atlantic Monthly) Piotr Zalewski - For Turkey, the breakup with Israel is another nail in the coffin of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's vaunted "zero problems" policy that, until recently, allowed the country to keep lines open with all sides of the Middle East's conflicts. By downgrading its relations with Israel, Turkey might also have increased pressure on Egypt - whose relationship with Israel is under serious strain - to do the same. According to Shlomo Avineri, a former director general at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey is deliberately distancing itself from Israel. "It has to do with...the Islamic nature of the regime, where it has distanced itself from the U.S. on many issues, and also from Israel." "I don't think Turkey is interested in reconciling with Israel." If they were, "they could have accepted the Palmer report [on the 2010 Gaza flotilla incident], with reservations if you wish, but they have just rejected it."
2011-09-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive