Israel-Turkey: Another Visit for the "Strategic" Relationship

Following Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Ankara, Foreign Ministry Director-General Yossi Gal will today hold official meetings with Turkish officials on the biannual Turkish-Israeli strategic dialogue.

According to Israeli officials, the last meeting was held six months ago. The discussion included regional developments such as those in Iran and Iraq as well as relationss with the European Union.

According to the Turkish newspaper, Hurriyet, the scheduled visit of Gal --- who is seen as a representative of the "hawkish" wing of Israeli politics --- is a "positive" sign that West Jerusalem wants to ameliorate relations, even though Israeli officials stated that it was scheduled well before last week's diplomatic crisis between Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Turkish ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol.

The Ayalon Affair: "Israel Needs Morality; Not a Gangster Diplomacy"

UPDATE 1020 GMT: Despite the criticism of his behaviour, Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon is not expressing regrets. To the contrary, he is backing away from his formal apology to Turkey: In an interview with Channel 2, he said:

[Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's] policy is proving to be effective. We will not allow a situation where every country will kick us. If there will be an attack on Israel, we will leave all options open, including the expulsion of ambassadors. We do not want to argue with anyone, but we will not sit idly by.

Ayalon took a specific swipe at Turkey in the guise of "clarifying" the incident with Ankara's ambassador:

The story with the cameras wasn't planned, I didn't think it was being recorded, and if it was --- I didn't think it would be aired with sound. My intention wasn't to humiliate, but to send a visual message. The ambassador didn't feel humiliated either --- only once reporters started calling him. The picture was aimed at the Turks, to send them a message. I think what (Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan did to (Israeli President Shimon) Peres in Davos (over the Gaza War) is humiliation, not this.

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Haaretz's Zvi Bar'el questioned today Israel's humiliation Turkey's ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, which he called "gangster diplomacy', and wrote the prescription for a moral Israel to demand morality from others:

Now we have also shown the Turks who we are, because when it comes to the Jewish, Zionist honor of a nation that endured the Holocaust and the Goldstone report, no one will make a movie about us - certainly not the Turks - portraying us as war criminals. If Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan thinks he can reprimand us without a reaction, we'll show him and all the other countries of the world.


There's no choice because they only understand force. Britain wants to boycott Israeli goods? We'll summon the British ambassador and have him sit on a bed of nails. The United States handles the settlements unfairly? We'll point an unloaded gun at the American ambassador's head and pull the trigger, just to scare him. We're not murderers. We're just trying to frighten, which, as is well known, creates respect. Just ask the Godfather.

But if we're going to put on a performance like this, it's important to do it in style because it gets ridiculous when directors sit on high, uncomfortable chairs with their feet barely touching the ground just to achieve a superior level. Instead of arranging a professional humiliation room and ordering a low chair facing a real master with elevator shoes or barstools, and maintaining a supply of ripped national flags for each country (because who knows if tomorrow we'll have to humiliate the Swedish or Irish ambassador?), they threw everything together at the last minute last week. Proper lighting is an essential element of gangster diplomacy and not a job for amateurs. Our deputy foreign minister merely gave us second-rate humiliation.

The other aspect of the affair is a matter of honor and morals. The polished statement from the Foreign Ministry spokesman said that "the statement by Prime Minister Erdogan comes in addition to the anti-Turkish television program .... The State of Israel reserves its full right to defend its citizens from missile and terrorist attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah, and Turkey is the last one that can preach morals to the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces." This indictment featured three accusations: that Erdogan is cooperating with Turkish television, that he is undermining Israel's security, and especially that he is jumping to the head of the line in preaching morals instead of taking his place behind Europe and the United States.

No one bothered to say that the Turkish television series, in which actually the United States was attacked in the first episode, was produced back in 2003 and made into a film in 2006. They only decided to produce further episodes because of the project's huge commercial success. This time there was a mix of Mafia, Mossad, kidnapping of children and Turkish heroism. The series was distributed by Star TV, which is owned by Erdogan's bitter rival, Aydin Dogan. So Erdogan is innocent of the first accusation against him.

The two other accusations are much more serious. Turkey actually supports Israel's security. It buys unmanned aircraft from Israel to fight terrorism perpetrated by the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, both in Turkey and Iraq. By using Israeli technology, Turkey knows where to direct its bombing against the PKK, in which civilians are also killed. Turkey is doing in Iraq what Israel does in Gaza. The major question is who is more moral? The seller of the weapon who knows whom it will be used against or the one who uses it?

If Israel had wanted to behave morally, it would have demanded, as the United States has, that its technology not be used in a war against civilians. Maybe it would have lost a $200 million deal, but it would have won the right to say that Turkey is the last country that has the right to accuse others. Does anyone really think Defense Minister Ehud Barak will make a similar demand on the use of Israeli technology during his visit to Turkey today?

If Israel had wanted to behave morally, it would have recognized the Armenian genocide despite Turkish opposition, but it is afraid that taking a moral stance on that issue would cost it dearly. If Israel had wanted to behave morally, it would have lifted the siege on 1.5 million civilians in Gaza long ago - not for Erdogan, but for Israel itself.

So morals are not the issue, but rather Turkey's place in line among those preaching morals. But because this is a case of two friendly countries, and neither is so righteous, why should Turkey be the one to be pushed to the end of the line in the contest over self-righteousness?

Israel: Foreign Ministry Divided after Ayalon's Apology

Israel's Foreign Ministry was divided into two camps over the apology of Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon for his treatment of Turkey's ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol. Some officials say, "Israel will benefit from the way in which Ayalon managed the crisis. The result is that today Turkey will be much more careful in its statements [about Israel]," but others claim:

(Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdogan will only change his rhetoric if he sees that it costs him something. But blasting Israel does not cost him anything, and actually gains him points both at home and in the Arab world.

Israel: A Government Divided over Turkey and "The Ayalon Crisis"?

The Israeli Government is still in some confusion after Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's full apology over his "undiplomatic" attitude towards Turkey's ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol. Israel's President Shimon Peres said that Ayalon's treatment reflected the "mistake of one man, not of the state":

It was not diplomatic... and it's good that he apologized. This should not be connected to the whole state or to all diplomats. We must learn not to do this again.

However, the Israeli Foreign Ministry slammed a group of 17 members of Parliament who sent a letter of apology to Turkey over Ayalon's treatment of the ambassador. A member of Ayalon's staff told Israel Radio:

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Israel & Turkey: A Reset in Relations?

Ayalon respects the MKs who apologized, but where were they over the past two years of anti-Semitic broadcasts in the Turkish media and unbridled criticism of Israel from Ankara? After two years in which Turkey has failed to get the diplomatic message, we had to start making a noise one official told Israel.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel does not want a confrontation with Turkey but will not tolerate anti-Semitic remarks and incitement against Jews.

In contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his satisfaction with Ayalon's apology. So, could the ambassador crisis, possibly planned by Lieberman and played out by Ayalon, bring an advantage to the Prime Minister?

Netanyahu could use the incident to diminish, if not neutralise, the influence of Lieberman's Israel Beiteinu party. He couldameliorate Israel's image in the eyes of  the international community, bringing credibility in the approaching round of peace talks. And, in case of another crisis with Ankara, he could walk the line that apologies will be offered if any mistake is made but Turkey's continuous criticisms is an unwarranted expression of anti-Semitism.

In the short term, the Israeli Prime Minister has kept talks with Ankara on track. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared, "Israel must put itself in order and it must be more just and more on the side of peace in the region," but given Ayalon's apology, Erdogan was ready for discussions.

That process is well under way. Before Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Ankara on Sunday, Ministry official Udi Shani returned from an official visit in which the March delivery of 10 Heron drone aircraft to Turkey was confirmed.

UPDATED Israel & Turkey: A Reset in Relations?

UPDATE 14 January: On Wednesday evening, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon sent a letter of apology to the Turkish Ambassador to Israel, Ahmet Oguz Celikkol.



Ayalon wrote: "The disputes between Israel and Turkey will be solved in a respectful and mutual manner between the two governments. There was no intention to humiliate the ambassador personally. I apologize for the way Israel's protest was presented."

UPDATE 1655 GMT: Another twist in the tale, according to Haaretz:

The Turkish media reported Wednesday that Ankara has recalled its ambassador to Israel on Wednesday after Jerusalem said it would not issue a second, formal apology for Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon's treatment of the Turkish envoy.

"This is the final decision on the matter," said a senior Foreign Ministry official earlier Wednesday. The decision was made during consultations between the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office, officials said.

Turkish ambassador to Israel Ahmet Oguz Celikkol will depart at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday. It is unclear when, or if, he will return.

On Tuesday, Ankara called in the Israeli Ambassador to Turkey, Gabby Levy, to clarify the statement of Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's, "The Turks are the last ones who can preach morality to Israel." The message was clear: Turkey wanted a public apology from Ayalon.

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Relations had been inflamed when Turkey's Ambassador, Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, had been received in Israel's Parliament, the Knesset, with the press taking pictures of him sitting "lower" than Ayalon. Indeed, those pictures were taken as Celikkol waited outside the meeting room. Ayalon then said: "I won't apologize. It's the Turks who should --- for what [Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip] Erdogan said and for the television series [allegedly slandering Israeli officials and denigrating the Israeli flag]....We are merely setting boundaries."


However, the tension seems to be ebbing. Until late Tuesday, Ankara was sending messages to West Jerusalem that measures would could be taken if Ayalon did not offer an apology, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood behind his Deputy Foreign Minister.

Then Celikkol was recalled to Ankara. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that it was not possible to continue dialogue with Israel. The Jerusalem Post alleged that Celikikol might not return.

Why the shift? Criticisms over Ayalon's "undiplomatic manner" were increasing, as even many officials in Ayalon's party, Israel Beiteinu, said the incident would greatly harm his chances of succeeding party head Avigdor Lieberman as Foreign Minister."He is finished politically," an Israel Beiteinu official said. "This ruins his reputation as a diplomat. It is a stain that cannot be erased. He damaged Lieberman and first and foremost himself."

Labor MK Daniel Ben-Simon called upon Netanyahu to summon Ayalon to his office and put him on a low chair "so he will see how low Israeli diplomacy has stooped." The Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said, "We have enough problems with the Muslim world without picking a fight with a country that has 72 million Muslims."

And Ayalon's behaviour elevated the possibility that Lieberman was trying to torpedo Defense Minister Ehud Barak's scheduled meeting to Turkey next week, in particular preventing Ankara from mediating Israel's peace talks with Syria. "We get the sense that Lieberman wants to heat things up before Barak's visit," a senior Foreign Ministry source said. "All of the recent activities were part of Lieberman's political agenda."

With the moves of the last 24 hours, Netanyahu has checked Lieberman's and attempted to give a "positive" image to the world while maintaining concerns over Turkey's regional manoeuvres. Netanyahu said: "Turkey is consistently gravitating eastward to Syria and Iran rather than westward [over the last two years]. This is a trend that certainly has to worry Israel."