(National Interest) Oded Eran - The apology made by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will not put an end to tensions with the Turkish government or avert future conflicts. Even if all the Turkish preconditions regarding compensation and the Gaza blockade are met, the problems will not end and tension will increase. Given the unpredictability of Turkish-Israeli relations, it may not be wise for Israeli companies, or even others wishing to sell Israeli natural gas, to use Turkey as a transit route to Europe - and become totally dependent on its government. Until 2009, Israeli pilots trained over the remote eastern and hilly terrain of Turkey. Since the deterioration in bilateral relations, however, Israel has moved such pilot training primarily to Greece. Stronger relations between Israel, Greece and Cyprus will not be viewed positively in Ankara. The writer, a former Israeli ambassador to Jordan and the EU, is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.
2013-04-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive