Livni. Healing the rift
Photo: Doron Golan
Livni, Turkish FM meet for first time since Gaza op
Foreign minister arrives at NATO meeting in Brussels with goal of warming cooled ties; two ministers agree on importance of continued political cooperation
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met on Thursday with her Turkish counterpart, Ali Babacan, for the first time this year, after Israel's Operation Cast Lead in Gaza led to tensions between the two countries.
The two foreign ministers, who met in Brussels, agreed on continued political contact between Israel and Turkey at all levels and stressed that the two nations share strategic interests.
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Livni's decision to fly to the Belgian capital to participate in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers was motivated by the desire to assuage tensions with Turkey. Tentative contact had been made prior to Thursday's meeting to this effect.
Leaders in Jerusalem and Ankara had been anxious to ensure tensions between the two countries would not harm the significant financial and security-related cooperation taking place between them.
Turkey, desirous of a place in the European Union, was anxious not to have a falling out with Israel while the latter, who relies on Turkey as a mediator with the Syrians, also hoped for ameliorated ties.
Tensions surrounding the Gaza operation came to a head in late January, when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a public spat with President Shimon Peres, which ended with him walking off stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Later, in mid-February, Erdogan publicly expressed his doubts regarding Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's credibility, calling his statements "inconsistent" and criticizing Olmert's decision not to brief him on Operation Cast Lead, despite the fact that the two met just days before its start.
