Turkish Foreign Policy continues to surprise many as they are determined to think in old terms. Turkey does not aim to leave its place in “Western” world. She just diversifies and empowers its role. Thus, she can still continue to talk to Israel and she will… Israel’s Trade Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer, seen here in … Read more
Top Statesmen visit the ambushed site … and a few ask why the all powerful Turkish army cannot defend its own soldiers… And the government doesn’t have any other support than its own constituencies. Hard times to be an AKP official. Middle Eastern sympathies cannot become a concrete support in near future, AKP has to … Read more
Turkey to freeze Israeli ties from Yahoo news ISTANBUL (Turkey) – A TURKISH newspaper reported on Wednesday that Turkey would halt military cooperation with Israel and would not send back an envoy, withdrawn after an Israeli commando operation to stop an aid convoy reaching Gaza. The Turkish government has said it is working on a … Read more
EU enlargement commissioner Stefan Fule. AFP photo
Difficult Times for the Israeli Civil Society
Source: Heinrich Boll Stiftung Israel
The number of attacks by the nationalist camp against Israeli human rights organizations and other non-governmental organizations has risen significantly in the past six months. The work of these organizations has always been disputed by certain parts of the Israeli society. In a state which is in conflict with its neighbors ? a conflict that frequently adopts violent and warlike traits, such disputes is are to be expected. Furthermore, a non-negligible part of the actors considers the conflict as an existential one.
http://vimeo.com/12488021 Despite the Israeli government?s thorough efforts to confiscate all footage taken during the attack, Iara Lee was able to retain some of her recordings. Above is 15 minutes of footage from the moments leading up to and during the Israeli commandos? assault on the Mavi Marmara. *** Turkey denies break with Europe from BBC … Read more
I have stated several times that Turkey has started a new foreign policy which is riskier but more attractive than the old obedient silent ally policy. I sincerely wish for its success. EU hesitancy certainly helped the change. Before this new line of policy started, many Turks had already lost hope in the EU front. It is not easy for a nation to wait for more than 50 years for a membership. It is a great humiliation and Turkey is not the only reason for that.
Current Turkish leaders’ Islamic origins certainly gave them the courage to continue. Even if previous leaders thought to have more assertive foreign policy, that hardcore secularist line had little ties with the public but dependent on Western powers in terms of lifestyles and ideological background, social capital etc.
“Moving Eastward” is a mistaken thinking. I believe new FP is an attempt of neo-Ottomanism. I believe Turkish elites are trying to gather power from Middle East to negotiate in better terms with the major Western policy makers…
and for the critics of being isolated, was Turkey ever not isolated? always in fight with her neighbours, dependent on mostly US to survive. Is that being not isolated?
In the mean time, with the existing leaders in both countries Israel and Turkey relations are doomed to end and US-Turkey relations will be worse… US Foreign Policy Establishment is too conservative to change and has forgotten diplomacy for ages and doesn’t want to see that being a superior war machine is not enough, something proved hundreds of times…
BASINA VE KAMUOYUNA DUYURULUR (8 Haziran 2010) İSTANBUL BİLGİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ ÇALIŞANLARI İSRAİL?E ?ARTIK YETER!? DİYOR 31 Mayıs 2010 tarihinde, uzun zamandır İsrail?in ablukası nedeniyle trajik koşullarda yaşayan Gazze-Filistin halkına insani yardım malzemeleri taşıyan gemiler, uluslararası sularda İsrail Ordusu tarafından saldırıya uğramış ve İsrail askerleri bu saldırıda silahsız dokuz sivili katletmiş, onlarcasını yaralamış, gemilere el koymuş … Read more
Report on return of British members of Gaza aid flotilla attacked in international waters by Israeli commandos on 31 May 2010. Osama Qashoo recounts his experience.
Hürriyet releases some photos from the flotilla ambush… Israel has been uploading videos to defend her murder but people began to make fun of first class Israeli commandos beaten by unarmed activists…. More photos here. Daily Hürriyet publishes photos of bloodied Israeli soldiers from Hurriyet Dailynews Pictures showing bloodied Israeli commandos being overpowered by activists … Read more
The last ship was named after Rachel Corrie.
finkelstein? s report with huwaida arraf who is one of the organisers of the ship to gaza campaign..
download:http://rapidshare.com/files/395438613/flotilla.rar
Erdoğan posters are sold in Gaza.
Former marine Ken O?Keefe returned to Istanbul like this after he was deported from Israel. via
June 4th 2010 [43 years of occupation] An open letter from Israel to friends and colleagues in Turkey It is with great worry and sadness that I am witnessing the deteriorating relationship between Turkey and Israel. It is with horror and pain that I follow the unfolding dangerous betrayal of Israel’s own good by its … Read more
Julie Platner for the Wall Street Journal
IHH President’s reply here in Turkish.
Who opposed Turkey’s diplomatic initiatives? In UN, US, Norway and Italy. In NATO, Canada and Chezch Republic… via
By JOE LAURIA
SAYLORSBURG, Pa.?Imam Fethullah Gülen, a controversial and reclusive U.S. resident who is considered Turkey’s most influential religious leader, criticized a Turkish-led flotilla for trying to deliver aid without Israel’s consent.
Fethullah Gülen does it again: criticises the Gaza flotilla.
I met Cevdet Kılıçlar when I was in college. He was one of the most cordial Muslims I ever met. A positive man, who loved to help people around, altruistic for sure, and liked his job of photo-journalism (some of his photos can be found here). It is after midnight now, hard to stop tears. His funeral is tomorrow after the Friday prayer. It will probably become a grand Islamic demonstration as he was a beloved one. Not because of his militancy but because of inherent kindness he had. Not many Islamists have that… Cevdet abi, rest in peace.
Furkan Doğan was 19, 4 bullets found in his head…. May his soul rest in peace. via
A brief introduction to the nine Turkish people shot dead on 31 May 2010, by Israeli soldiers who attacked the Turkish vessel M.V. Mavi Marmara, as it attempted to transport humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip.