Can Israeli-Turkish rift be mended?
With the latest mudslinging between Israeli and Turkish leaders following the killing of at least 62 Palestinians by Israeli forces in Gaza, some in Israel are calling for a tougher approach toward Ankara instead of holding back in an effort to maintain proper relations.
It looks like the current squabbling between Turkey and Israel is more serious than previous rounds of tensions. The violence along the Gaza border fence has brought out the best of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This time, however, he faces a Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is far more belligerent than in the past.
After learning of Israeli soldiers having killed dozens of Palestinians in Gaza on May 14, Ankara recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultations. Later in the day, Erdogan publicy declared Israel “a terror state.” Netanyahu tweeted in response, “Erdogan is among Hamas’s biggest supporters and there is no doubt that he well understands terrorism and slaughter. I suggest that he not preach morality to us.”
Erdogan then took the rhetoric up a notch, tweeting, “Netanyahu is the PM of an apartheid state.” Netanyahu shot back, “A man whose hands are stained with the blood of countless Kurdish citizens in Turkey and Syria is the last one who can preach to us about combat ethics.” Erdogan tweeted, “Hamas is not a terrorist organization, and the Palestinians are not terrorists.” Here, at least, Erdogan had some problems with the facts, as most Western nations consider Hamas a terrorist group.
