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At Diplomatic Conference, Turkey-Israel Rift Worsens
(New York Times) Sebnem Arsu - The Turkish foreign minister withdrew at the last minute from a high-profile international security conference in Munich on Friday, after learning that Israeli diplomats might take part. Yuval Steinitz, the cabinet minister who is heading Israel's delegation to the conference, said he was surprised by Mevlut Cavusoglu's decision to withdraw, saying it would cast a shadow on Turkey's future and identify the country with Islamic extremism. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Friday that there was no chance of rehabilitating relations with Turkey as long as the current Turkish leadership remained in power. Yet despite the diplomatic tensions, Israel and Turkey remain major trading partners, and the flow of goods has been growing in both directions in recent years.