Fighting talk

The Turkish prime minister confirmed Tuesday that his country will halt all military cooperation with Israel, and that Turkey's navy will conduct more high-profile patrols in the eastern Mediterranean.

Last week, Turkey announced that the Israeli ambassador, Gaby Levy, was being expelled and all bilateral military agreements were suspended. This was in reaction to the findings of a United Nations probe into a deadly Israeli raid on a flotilla in May 2010.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan went even further. "We are totally suspending our trade, military and defense industry relations," he told reporters. His office later clarified that Erdogan did not mean a suspension to commercial ties in general, but merely "in the defense industry area."

Declining relations

Turkey was once Israel's closest friend in the Muslim world, however Turkey has been increasingly critical of the Jewish state since Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002.

The flotilla attack at the center of the impasse took place in May last year, as a six-vessel convoy tried to bring aid to the Palestinian territory of Gaza. The flotilla was raided by Israeli special forces and eight Turkish nationals and an American of Turkish decent were killed.

A new UN report has criticized the "excessive" force in the raid, but also upheld Israel's right to impose a naval blockade on Gaza to prevent arms reaching the Islamist movement Hamas.

Erdogan has spoken of his plans to visit Gaza, and may enter via neighboring Egypt during a trip to the country next week. Although Erdogan knows such a visit would upset the Israelis, he seemed in no mood for diplomacy.

"Israel has always played the role of a spoiled child," he said in reference to Israel's attitude towards the Palestinians.

He said Turkish vessels would also now be more visible in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean.

Author: Catherine Bolsover (AFP, dpa)
Editor: Martin Kuebler