DEBKAfile Exclusive Report June 17, 2010, 11:32 AM (GMT+02:00)
Turkey launched a plan Wednesday night (June 16) to campaign on all fronts for a worldwide boycott of Israel and decided to introduce sanctions leading to the severance of bilateral relations. Its pretext was the absence of a formal apology from Jerusalem for the naval commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara (“Blue Marmara”), which left 8 activists dead, and its rejection of an international inquiry of the incident.
In Washington, early Thursday morning (June 17), Democratic and Republican members of Congress announced at a press conference that there would be price to pay if Ankara continued its hate campaign against Israel and tight ties with Tehran.
Rep. Mike Pence, the third-highest ranking Republican, said: “There will be a cost if Turkey stays on its present heading of growing closer to Iran and more antagonistic to the state of Israel.” Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel called Turkey’s actions “disgraceful.”
debkafile’s sources in Washington note that while the House and the Senate are getting ready for an active response against Turkey for its deteriorating relations with Israel, the Obama administration is standing still, possibly tied down by friendship with the two contestants in Jerusalem and Ankara. The president may also be influenced by some of his closest aides, who are sympathetic to the policies pursued by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and support his aspirations in the Middle East and in the Muslim world.
The most prominent member of the pro-Erdogan faction in the White House is the president’s personal adviser on Muslim affairs, Dalia Mogahed, who does not share the conviction that the Turkish aid society, the IHH, is in fact a terrorist organization, as Israel declared Thursday, June 17 – although more than one European terrorist expert is of that opinion.
The way this declaration was aired by the Netanyahu government was harshly criticized by Israel’s security and intelligence sources as too hesitant and uncertain to attract notice, debkafile’s sources in Jerusalem report. It was not sourced to any defense ministry official and only appeared in a low spot on a local Channel 2 TV news bulletin.
“If Israel accuses an organization of terrorism, it should do so loud and clear,” they said. “We must offer the kind of proof that reverberates strongly around the world. Instead, the information was released almost by stealth and therefore ignored by the international media.”
In fact, debkafile’s intelligence and counter-terror sources stress the inconspicuous news item was pretty sensational. By listing as terrorists the IHH (Insani Yardim Vakfi), a key component of Erdogan’s pro-Islamic AKK government’s support system, Israel henceforth defines the group as a target for Israel’s covert and military operations and exposes its leaders to retaliation for continuing violence against Israel and its interests.
IHH activists were responsible for the violence aboard the Turkish ship leading the blockade-busting flotilla on May 31. Wednesday, IHH headquarters in Istanbul scheduled the launch of an even bigger flotilla for Gaza some time in July. Its new designation empowers Israel’s covert agencies and navy to go for its members and ships – at sea and in Turkish ports.
Still hesitant, Israel has started hitting back at Turkey by escalating its military and intelligence responses to Erdogan’s provocations.
The day before, the level of confrontation was ramped up by several notches in Ankara, when the Turkish Defense Industry Implementation Committee – SSIK, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Erdogan, decided to freeze 16 security and military agreements signed with Israel.
They include permission for Israel warplanes to use Turkish airspace and apply to intelligence-sharing arrangements and cooperation in combating terrorism and suspend the longstanding, close military and intelligence cooperation between Turkey and Israel.
The two erstwhile allies are left glaring at each other as antagonists, just one step short of declared enemies.
Ankara nonetheless left a narrow opening – whether to appease the military for its loss of a valued strategic partner or to tempt Israeli leaders to continue to delude themselves that Turkey is not a write-off.
Thursday morning, in a briefing to Turkish journalists, sources close to the Turkish prime minister and the SSK exhibited a very long list of the Israeli and Turkish military projects they had cancelled, including the purchase of advanced Israeli Arrow anti-missile missiles. However, Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul commented: “Despite the fact that the decision on the shelving of military agreements had been left to the command of the Foreign Ministry, it would not be proper for the ruling administration to decide on the actions of military companies in both countries.”
By this remark, the Turkish defense minister left a small gap for the Turkish government to review each contract separately and to decide whether to implement or revoke it depending on the needs of the Turkish army.
I read today’s though!
Egyptian analyst Howeidy: Turkey embarrassed Arab regimes
“First of all, Turkey embarrassed them because they proved that they could say no to Israel. The Israelis were silly enough to commit such a crime, and they forgot that Turkey is different with its elected government, which needs to respond to society’s anger over Israeli acts,” he told Today’s Zaman for Monday Talk.
you have not been reading Today’sZaman, the online newspaper of the Gulen movement in English. they are going for Israel’s jugular.
I think he’s about played out all his Israeli cards,still I think Turkish Intel is still working with us?
I earned that for sure. Now if we could get the liberal American Jews to apply that attitude towards barry obama.
Excuse me while I go clean the blood off my shirt.
Shebrew, I apologize and I mean it. I was kidding about being nutty and the poison ivy bit. Listen when I said I am pissed it had to do what is happening to Israel. American Jews just don’t seem to care. That baffles me.
By the way Ayn did not mention anything about a nutty sister. Ayn was cool and would not say that. I am just upset.
My behavior was uncalled for.
,
As long as we’re still cool, I seem to be……. by all three of you.
I’m sure you remember this. By the way I’m aka Gomez.
He absolutely should not apologize. You and I were having a conversation that did not involve him, and this flake chimes in to opine that my dead sister considered me to be a nut and that he hopes I get poison ivy. The guy is a malicious sicko. Just leave him to rot in his own ignorance.
ron you should apologize and mean it, Shrebrew is as good as they come.
You invoke my dead sister to insult me? Fuck you straight to hell, you gutless piece of shit.
NOT according to the Turkish press who are claiming American intelligence is delayed. But, the Turks are using their Israeli-made drones in Iraqi Kurdistan. and the Azeris provoked the Armenians into a new shooting match.
Israel should wait for Turkey to expel your diplomat. make Erdogan play his “Israel card” openly
Israel Training Iraqi Kurds
Israeli + Kurdish Military vs.Iran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL6CJIkpArE&feature=fvw
Speaking of nutty sisters, mine called last Thursday I call her,Ms Toys “R” Us. as she was their best customer. Every-time her nerdy kid would cry or tantrum she would take him to Toys “R” Us. The nerdy kid has been her biggest disappointment in life as he didn’t make it to medical school. She lives vicariously through her only child. I told her she should have named him Doctor so no matter how he turned out he would always be called Doctor.
Uncle you sound like a guy who wants to go from the frying pan into the fire and that’s not a sign of sanity. Listen take a nice cold shower, fix yourself a vodka/tonic (easy on the tonic). After your settled, call your family members and friends in the US and ask them to call their congressmen and senators for support of Israel. Remember this is election year and they’ll do anything you asked, they want want and need votes.
I am going to contact mine.
I think she is delightful, a breath of fresh air and sanity to this droll blog. if it weren’t for # 5 and her demand for expensive baubles I would be in hot pursuit, very hot pursuit.
Ron, You are such a sweet guy that I hate to burst your balloon. Asking for every Jew is America to join hands in support of Israel is a dream, but no where a reality. Like Shebrew (Idon’t know her), most American Jews don’t want to get dirty by going against the radical Islamist who live amongst us. 80% of the American Jews voted for that idiot, Obama and half of those, even today, would vote for him again because their brains have calsified. At least, in Israel, only a small few liberals exist who would wish for Israel to dissappear. When I’m on this subject, I get all worked up, blood pressure rises and I get the desire to oil my weapons again.
G-d forbid, I am worried about Israel and what may happen and this nut case is getting naked and playing with jewelry. I am not sure she is related to Ayn. Although if my memory serves me I do recall Ayn mention something about a nutty sister. Joy should have taken this one on the trip. Maybe a good case of poison ivy would give her something to itch about.
Damn I am pissed.
The range of SOP options includes warning shots, shooting the ship above the waterline, moderate damage below waterline, and damaging the ship’s controls. Roof-knocking is another option, dropping dud bombs on the ship as a warning, the technique used extensively in the Gaza war.
No American politician ever went to the wall for Jews or Israel with a few exceptions like Scoop Jackson and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a few others but that’s it. Today they all owe their political souls to Saudi money.
For me that’s enough I’m no gold-digger!
Missed the Adirondaks link
Uncle Nahum (Yamit) Israel is being tested and I pray G-d crushes her enemies.
Damn I am pissed, I think every American Jew should rise up and put pressure on the president and administration. Israel, the Holy Land, the Land G-d provided for the Jews is under attack from the Muslim world and the US should call Turkey out on it, likewise so should the NATO nations. Every Jew and non-Jew in America should contact their congressman, both the House and Senate and ask them to demand this administration take action necessary to bring this to a halt.
Every American Jewish organization needs to get involved. We have a president who embraces Islam.
Israel needs to mine the area of the blockade and let it be know to everyone they enter the area at their own risk
This is necessary to protect Israel from the Arab terrorist.
That should snap her back, between the flies and the mosquitoes.
Adirondacks?? That’s my country, have a house there on a lake.
Reminds me of and who can omit
You and me have a lot in common, that’s why I moved to Israel. 🙂
Joy is camping. Her future son-in-law is a big outdoorsy type, and he’s taken them on a guided tour of a huge pile of dirt. Appalachians? Adirondacks? How can you tell one from another? My sister is communing with nature, out there with the creepy crawlies and other disgusting things. Do you know how Shebrew communes with nature? I get naked, put on all my jewelry, and roll around in hundred dollar bills. It makes me feel in harmony with the universe.
Obama betrayed Kurds
Turkish military announced killing over 100 Kurds in series of air raids. A curious move from the defenders of ‘human rights’ in Gaza, indeed. For some reason, the UNSC did not gather in an emergency session, and the world did not rush to condemn the ‘Turkish murderers.’
But the announcement had a small detail of major political implication. The Turks conducted bombing raids against Kurds based on American intelligence.
Though the US support for Kurdish insurgents have always been ambivalent and PKK was designated a foreign terrorist organization, the White House traditionally avoided the outright military actions against Kurds. The assumption was that, as with most national liberation movements, ugly radicals exist alongside moderates, and it is not the American job to discriminate between various shades of Kurdish rebels.
Why should Israel begin behaving like a normal country now?
Iran confirms that it has sent two ships to Gaza. At least one of the ships will dock in Turkey first to make its voyage a joint Iranian-Turkish expedition so that Israel won’t be able to simply attack the Iranian ship.
and in the same time the Israeli FM refuses to call back our ambassador from ankara……………