Israel’s apology to Turkey over the Mavi Marmara event will lead to an altered balance in the Middle East peace process, said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an in an address to lawmakers on Tuesday.
Israeli forces killed nine Turkish nationals aboard a vessel carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza in the 2010 incident.
A bilateral deal has been struck whereby Israel must cooperate alongside the Turkish government over the region’s peace process.
The move represents a more assertive stance for Turkey with regard to regional politics.
“The point we have arrived to as a result of our consultations with all our brothers in Palestine and peripheral countries is increasing our responsibility with regard to solving the Palestinian question and thus bringing about a new equation,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Turkish Hurriyet daily.
The report added that Israel has agreed to cooperate with Turkey on carrying out talks with Palestine.
The Turkish prime minister also said that all regional interlocutors, including Hamas’ Khaled Meshaal, must admit that a new era has begun in the Middle East.
An important phone call
Erdo?an went on to outline details of phone conversations between himself, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama.
“I talked to him [Netanyahu] and we have reviewed the text and confirmed the apology process. We have therefore accomplished this process under Obama’s witness,” Erdo?an said, adding that the phone conversation was recorded along with a written statement which was issued by all three parties.
Turkish President Abdullah Gül made a statement on the Israeli apology during a joint press conference with visiting Cameroon President Paul Biya on Tuesday, saying: “Israel did what it had to do. Therefore I express my contentment of it. The issue is still very fresh, let’s all wait. This is just a first step.”
As well as apologizing for the Mavi Marmara killings, Israel will also pay compensation to the families of the victims and remove its blockade on Gaza. Talks on how the compensation is to be paid will be held in April between senior diplomats from both Turkey and Israel as part of the agreement made between Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu and Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.
@ deborah lurya:
further to my last post: he is inviting himself to Gaza and meddling but the Egyptians, Qatar, MB and Hamas have already made arrangements with the US and Israel; so his going is irrelevant, meaningless, foolish and clownish. Like a fool crashing the party uninvited. His talk and behaviour is obvious to all, especially the arabs.
deborah lurya Said:
I find him clownish because he appears like an unstable fool. One minute he is hugging up everyone like Iran, Syria and hamas threatening Israel. The next moment he is threatening syria with attack and talking about seizing buffer zones. The Syrians shot down his plane and he slinked off looking foolish. He blows off Israel in order to get points with the arabs, over the pals, but the arabs don’t want him, he is seen as a meddler. He is trying the same thing again with his talk of involvement in the peace process, again to get points, but he comes across foolish because no one wants him. He blew off Israel and Israel goes and makes useful alliances with Cyprus and Greece and he is then threatening Cyprus, who is an EU member, rather than getting his own gas. Again he looks foolish. Apparently he can only ride on the achievements of others. He is all bluster and appears foolish to me, like one of those people you want to give more rope so he can hang himself. The delusional part is his pushing his pig snout into peace negotiations where nobody wants him, especially the arabs. Other delusion are those of his own grandeur to be caliph. He makes a lot of noise but the arabs get nothing from him. He is infringing into the arab turf when inserting himself into peace negotiations. It is obvious that the arabs consider him to be an outsider. I’m sure there is some sort of agreement but I am also sure that he will exaggerate it to suit his own agenda and try an use it to play the audience, agian he will look foolish. The only game he plays is one of who has the bigger machismo, but what will that get him. He has been rapidly losing credibility with, and making enemies of, everyone. regarding his military, who knows what sort of military he has since he gutted it? I willl wager that he keeps doing the same and keeps going down hill.
If the Israelis want to stall the peace talks they should invite in erdogan. 🙂
Laura Said:
I quite agree. The Turks want to use Israel for their own ends. That is not a mutual alliance of friends with shared interests.
Bernard Ross Said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS2khYJZKwA
Erdogans delusions are more amusing daily. I can’t imgine a more buffoonish clown so absorbed in his own grandeur. I would love to see the faces of the arab leaders reading this; they will soon put Turkey into the same category as Iran when it comes to meddling into their turf. Perhaps inviting Erdogan into peace talks might result in a state of confusion stalling the process another 10 years. It will probably lead to a falling out between the arabs and the turks. Obama’s foisting of Erdogan on the arabs may produce unintended consequences for all 3: the Arabs, the turks & Obama. reminds me of a Marx Brothers film. 🙂
The whole thing is disgusting.
Erodgan is over reaching. The Saudis and Jordanians among others think he is trying to create a situation where he is the number one guy in the middle east. They clearly do not like it. He is doing this on the back of the Israeli Palestinian Conflict. The only ones that are going along with him are the Qatari’s.The Palestinians will play along with anyone taking their side.
Even Turks I know do not think at birth this guy Erodgan was granted a lot of brains. Due to censorship in Turkey he gets his viewpoint across very strongly. Most Turks do not read other languages so he has obtained a great of popularity in Turkey.
He is an enemy of Israel. The government of Israel should use him for what they need but make sure is anti-semitic rhetoric, his refusal to establish normal relations at this point, and attempt to try and get more out of Israel should be rejected.
He should be told via the USA first if he does not cool his outrageous behavior Israel’s out stretched hand will be withdrawn.