20100120

Can Turkey become more important for the US than Israel?

RealClearWorld - Dissecting Israel-Turkey Diplomatic Row: "Washington has observed this, too, and so regards Turkey as a key part of its strategy to draw down the U.S. presence in Iraq. Turkey does not want to see massive instability in Iraq any more than the Americans do. Similarly, in any confrontation with Iran, Turkey is both a communications channel and a potential ally. Further afield, Turkey is contributing to the Western war effort in Afghanistan, and has substantial influence in the Caucasus, the Balkans and Central Asia".

Turkey is already more important for the EU than is Israel from the point of view as a potential member of the union. From this point of view it might be unfortunate for Israel to challenge Turkey diplomatically as it has done first on the Davos conference and now in Israel. It forces both the EU and the US to take sides.

In Davos Israel was viewed as conspiring with the US in humiliating Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turish Prime Minister, by not letting him respond after Shimon Peres, the Israeli President, had spoken at a session. Erdogan was particularly incensed by the Gaza attack where many Palestinians died. Due to the strong Western response against the Gaza attack Erdogan was able to take a point against Israel given this opportunity.

Now recently Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon summoned the Turkish Ambassador to Israel Ahmet Oguz Celikkol to protest for the appearance of a soap-opera aired in Turkey that depicted Israeli agents kidnapping Palestinian children. It was the way the meeting was staged that was the problem. The incident reminds me of a newspaper article written in Sweden that claimed that the IDF where stealing organs from Palestinians. My feeling from this incident was that Israel lost the public relations battle in Sweden and that it might therefore lose also in Turkey. Apparently Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is planning to expel ambassadors from countries that has criticized Israel unfairly.

It is fair to ask if these incidences are any of my business. However, Israel's position as a country with the potential of launching a nuclear war with Iran is I guess in everyone's business.

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