Hurriyet daily news

[arpad]

Daily reading : Hurriyet daily news - a Turkish newspaper in English

It is sickening to watch how Turkish government officials take turns in slandering Israel.

Sometimes they get too pompous for their own good:
"Last year we exported agricultural products of 180-190 million dollars to Israel and bought only around one fifth or one fourth of that amount [mostly seeds]," Eker told reporters, adding that Turkey is not dependent on Israeli agricultural products.
Well, Turkey is not an only country where agriculture minister has a weak grasp of economics.

But humor aside - even complete breaking ties with Israel economy won't harm Ankara much. Trade volume with Israel is below 3% of overall Turkish import/export. Military will be hit harder - contracts with Israel covered there some sensitive areas, but the gap is not critical and can be filled by a different supplier.

The loss of Turkey as a strategic ally is a blow. But it is a result of what Turkey has become, not what Israel has – or has not – done.

And frankly - I am glad that we aren't friendly with this new Turkey. It would be a shame to harbor such friends.

Comments

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

Turkey has, indeed, in stating that she will forcibly break the blockade of Gaza, outright threatened to launch a war of aggression against Israel. If Turkey does escort the next convoy aiming for Gaza, may the Israelis shoot straight and send those ships to the bottom. Victory to Israel, and confusion to the Turks!

[ascir.livejournal.com]

Well, it would be a brave act, but its political implications might be... ah... serious. Turkey is a NATO member, after all.

[0qwerty0.livejournal.com]

then it's up to the rest of NATO to take actions against its member that goes to war against NATO decisions... which they did, and which caused Edrogan to take a VERY fast Uturn

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

NATO is a defensive alliance. We are not obligated to shield Turkey's acts of aggression. The anti-Semites in Europe might cheer the Turks on, but I doubt they would be eager to go to war against a nuclear Power when they have such an easy way of bowing out while still honoring the treaty.

This has happened before. Remember when Turkey attacked Cyprus in the 1970's?

[ascir.livejournal.com]

NATO is a defensive alliance

Very funny. Tell it Serbs, Libyans etc.

BTW, if a NATO country is attacked (and you are suggesting to do exactly that, may the Israelis shoot straight), other countries are obliged to help.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

NATO is, in fact, a "defensive alliance," in that NATO Powers are only obliged to come to the aid of another NATO Power which is under unprovked attack. NATO members can, of course, choose to intervene under other circumstances, but they are not obliged to do so.

In the case of Serbia, the cause was humanitarian: NATO intervened to stop the Serbs from killing the Bosnians and Croats. In the case of Libya, several NATO Powers were attacked -- Gaddafi attacked America, Britain, Germany and Italy at various points in the mid-1980's. Admittedly, it would have been better had NATO explicitly acted on that basis, but those who have been following the history of the last few decades well-remember the bombing of the German disco, the bombardment of Pantallera, and the Lockerbie atrocity.

If Turkey sends forces to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza, and Israel resists this attempt by force, then Turkey has started a war with Israel -- Turkey would be the aggressor state in that instance. NATO members are not obliged to support the aggressor. As for America, since both Israel and Turkey are our allies, we would probably remain netural in that eventuality.

[0qwerty0.livejournal.com]

afair there is a little subclause that a NATO member should not *start* a war without NATO approval

[yamamanama.livejournal.com]

And at what price, Gaza's freedom for Israel's dignity? I shall not suffer you to have it.

[0qwerty0.livejournal.com]

if there was a tiny chance that Turkey would actually invade Gaza, take it off our hands, and, importantly, stop there - that might have been worth considering. but.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

LOL!!! Yes, quite right! Alas, Turkey will do Israel no such favor! :)

[arpad.livejournal.com]

:))) Indeedy.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

By the way, considering the history of Turkey and the Levant, if Turkey did take over the occupation of Palestine, it would be pretty ironic. You could draw useful power from Col. T. E. Lawrence spinning in his grave :)

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

And at what price, Gaza's freedom for Israel's dignity?

The only Gazan "freedom" at stake here is Gaza's freedom to bombard Israel. Since bombarding Israel is an act of war, Israel may justly commit acts of war herself by way of self-defense. One of the acts Israel has chosen to take in the current war is to impose a blockade.

If Turkey attempts to forcibly break the blockade, Turkey is committing an act of war -- and an utterly unprovoked one -- against Israel. The state of Israel would be then within her rights to prosecute the resultant war against Turkey.

Simply sinking the Turkish naval forces actually involved in the attempt to break the blockade would be quite a restrained response -- theoretically, Israel could engage Turkish military forces anywhere and everywhere she chose and still be acting in self-defense under the Laws of War.

[arpad.livejournal.com]

They won't escort next convoy - Erdogan is smart enough for that. Saying that gives him political points, doing that provides only risk without gain.

And forgive me for not looking forward for a war. Israel can fight, but, contrary to the common opinion, we do not think that war is an only option to solve a problem.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm glad to hear Erdogan backed down. I wasn't hoping that Israel and Turkey would fight -- only that Israel would fight if Turkey escorted the convoy. If the Turks aren't going to escort the convoy, than Israel has no good cause for war against Turkey, and hence fighting would be both immoral and stupid.

[french-man.livejournal.com]

И враг бежит-бежит-бежит!

[plakhov.livejournal.com]

how come noone mentioned Hitler yet?

[arpad.livejournal.com]

Heil Hynkel !