Opinion  Ron Ben-Yishai
Strategic blow to Israel
Ron Ben-Yishai
Published: 14.10.09, 00:26
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32 Talkbacks for this article
1. Turkey going back to 7 century unless other Ata Turk
e.m.Jordan is Palest ,   sf   (10.14.09)
Turkey needs another Ata Turk to save that nation other wise in future we will see fanatic’s regime like Mullah’s in Iran ,democracy in the Islamic nations is impossible.
2. Duh...
Sonya ,   LA, USA   (10.14.09)
So have some pride and stop acting like a jilted lover.
3. turkey
tom ,   tel aviv   (10.14.09)
Never trust Peoples with mustaches: they have (as a rule) small penises&large egos and are very insecure towards women. We have "insulted" Turkey in 09 and now it's payback-time. This I have from a former "turki" friend......
4. Hopefully the military with overthrow
jason white ,   afula,israel   (10.14.09)
this government. Israelis should spend their vacations in Israel and not turkey. Show some national pride.
5. what has turkey gained from israel
(10.14.09)
only a bunch of towel stealing israelis and nothing but a big headach FACE THE TRUTH ISRAELIS
6. and pretty soon tjordan and egypt will learn
(10.14.09)
the same
7. Faith in allies is misplaced. Self reliance ONLY
shneer   (10.14.09)
8. Turkey
logic ,   usa   (10.14.09)
If they are no longer a partner to Israel, then maybe it's time Israel admit to the Armenian holocaust that Turkey denies ever committing? What reason does Israel have to keep quiet any longer!
9. to #7 this article is misleading Army
ghostq   (10.14.09)
cooperation between the Idf and other Armies exist since ever, like the swedish Army and other forces, this pointless artivle just want to empasis the fact that Turkey changed her atitude toward Israel in a very sharp way since cast lead and that cause the un practical policy of edrogen nothing more.
10. here lies the failure
Mark   (10.14.09)
I'd worry more about this: (Chas Krauthammer) "The most improbable story of the twentieth century is the return of the Jews to sovereignty in their original homeland. The establishment of a Jewish state after two thousand years of dispersion and powerlessness is an idea that just a hundred years ago, at the founding of the Zionist movement, seemed delusional. The only thing more improbable is this: That after merely fifty years of independence, the Jews of Israel would tire of it, lose faith in the enterprise, and forfeit their redemption. As things are progressing now, the collapse of Zionism may be the story of the twenty-first century.
11. Coward Turks always pick up fights with weaker nations and
Genuine Tosefta ,   Tveria   (10.14.09)
small countries Armenians, Kurds, Cypriots, Greece, Israel let's see them go into a prolonged conflict with Russia, there are still a lot of of unresolved issues between the two, but Turkey wouldn't dare opening its mouth
12. Turkey
Gary Glaser ,   Hutchinson, MN, USA   (10.14.09)
I'd say it is way past time to be giving the Turks a bye on their genocide against the Armenians. It was always an illusion to think that any Moslem nation could be a reliable ally. That's sort of like dancing with the devil.
13. erdogan can now only dream of turkey ever joining the EU...
zabarbie ,   R   (10.14.09)
14. Turkey sees that
Inyaki ,   Bilbao, Basque   (10.14.09)
Despite their approach to the west, turks see that the doors of the EU are now closed to them with no chances to join the Union. Therefore they have decided to play a different card, getting closer to muslim countries, playing an unfair game towards Israel. As to Israel, one way to retaliate would be to honestly recognise the genoside of Armenians by the Turks ( it was a moral stain on the flag of israeli diplomacy) as well as help to do the same thing to US administration. This would be not only just a reatliation, but rather a just one.
15. #13
Adel Subry ,   Skövde, Sweden   (10.14.09)
Turkey can't join the EU.. Turkey has already started the IU.
16. to #10 one problem with what you said
ghostq   (10.14.09)
not all zionists lives in Israel and not all of the r jewish, some r chritians. collapes of living in the promise land as biblical vision won't stop, as history proven it's self over and over again, mark what start with jews never end with jews it progress to other minorities who wants self definition.
17. To Genuine Baboon, Turkey has no problem with Russia
Tayfun_Turkey ,   Istanbul   (10.14.09)
Most confrontation with Russia was because NATO membership to protect Europe from Russian bear As for Historical confrontations with Russia: Russia is neither Tsarist russia of 19th cC, nor Communist Russia of 20th Cc Even European countries who fight bloodies wars in history became partners and even they joint to build a common nation. Number of national killed in European wars were more than any world war summed up together. Russia propesed alternative missle defence system to Turkey as soon as they heard USA will supply missles to Turkey, Do you think if there was a possibility of Russian-Turkish conflict they would supply Russian arms to Turkey? You are just dreaming Turkey should get hit from a world power and it is just a dream. Take care of your own Blows, Turkey will run a joint Military drill with Syria and Tomorrow may be with Iran. Today it was a signal to USA about both Arminian issue and IMF aid delayed due to political pressures. But it is a divergence in any case. I hope Israeli authorities will do necessary actions to further diverge Turkey and Israel. Do not you see every closing end of yours?
18. There has been no change, just...
Paqid Yirmeyahu ,   Ra'anana, Israel   (10.14.09)
some Israelis no longer able to keep their heads in the sand. Don't be so gullible--freir--when evaluating "friend" countries.
19. Thinking Turkish
Atheist Turk ,   Germany   (10.14.09)
Erdogan knows that Turkey cannot be a full member of the EU. He is no idiot, even he looks like. And to be honest, we should stop begging in Europe. They humiliated as enough. Do we have honour? We and honour in the EU case is like an ape flying a plane. What alternative remains, if a progressive block like the EU refuses us? Turning to the East. Even Erdogan knows that there is nothing to gain, but Turkey will be powerful in a an alliance of disaster. The only obstacle on this route is Israel. So Turkey wants to get rid off it, just to get recognition from Arab countries who are hostile towards Israel.
20. to #19 hint euro dolar worth much more
ghostq   (10.14.09)
than Lira, that's y everyone wants the Euro, and honor you earn, becareful not to be too proud, leads to nowhere.
21. Unfortunately #19 is right
Biased observer ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (10.14.09)
Israel should stop looking for allies and preserving ties with them by any means. When most possible allies would benefit economically/strategically/politically , at least for certain amount of time, from such an alliance (the way it should be in any agreement for either side), for Israel it would mean much more. Today Israel, more than 60 years that have passed since its proclamation, needs more than ever support from outside, support against the growing wave of de-legitimisation of Israel's existence in the minds of the "enlightened" hypocrites of the West (forget the Muslim world, led by Arab countries from which you can't expect much). This week Turkey failed to provide such support as an ally. The question is, does it really matter, if to tens of Muslim countries being hostile to Israel will join another one? Yes, it hurt Israel's national pride, but this should be a lesson. This move of the Turkish government was quite predictable in the eyes of those who follow closely after foreign affairs of Israel and its allies. I want to believe that political analysts of Israeli MFA had foreseen this possibility. If not, this is the time to open your eyes and grow up, to stop believing in fairy tales about agreements between the countries on the basis of mutual sympathy and to start working, foreseeing the possible moves of friends and enemies. That's the reality and we all have to live with it, aware of it or not.
22. Hostility to Israel is the best way ......
Franklin ,   Paris   (10.14.09)
to etablish the future Islamic Republic of Turkey........ The army have almost lost to preserve Ataturk heritage.
23. Typical 'honor bound' arrogance
Steve from Raleigh   (10.14.09)
Let Turkey deal with their new best friends, Syria. Turkey is dead to us.
24. TYPHOON THE BABOON BUFFOON confirms my post #11
Genuine Tosefta ,   Tveria   (10.14.09)
denying that they have a problem with bigger guys when in reality they are afraid of them, cowards as I wrote, do not want to bring up many issues like Crimea, Chechnya, Dagestan, Armenia claims that Turkey has been hiding under the mat because they are scared to death of the bear what else can be expected from this country of clowns led by an arrogant Circus Master with a flair for self publicity
25. Turkey
edy ,   aventura , US   (10.14.09)
today a drill with Syrian , tomorrow with Iran ? dont trust in Turks they always are treacherous
26. #5 We hope you enjoy your new-found friends
Jake   (10.14.09)
Remember how your brotherly Muslim Arabs turned on Ottoman Turkey in consort with the British Empire, and the Syrian armies massacred from behind in cold blood the retreating Ottoman army. Remember how the Jewish "infidels", despite being second class citizens, were loyal to the Ottoman Empire for 500 years. You ought to be ashamed.
27. Ben-Yishai wrong: Strategic blow is to Turkey
JPS ,   Efrat   (10.14.09)
It wasn't "Muslim Turkey" that was our ally, but secular Turkey. And if Turkey is indeed becoming "Muslim Turkey", then the biggest danger is for the Turks. Both NATO and the EU are not going to tolerate a Turkey that cozies up with Syria and prefers to hold military exercises with a rogue nation instead of with NATO. The threat to Turkey is much greater than any threat this move was to Israel. If Turkey is kicked out of NATO, they'll never make it into the EU, and whatever progress they made in the past century will be quickly erased. This is no doubt not lost on the Turkish military, who must be really excited about holding military exercises with the impoverished and amateurish Syrians instead of with their fellow NATO members. If the trend continues, Ben Yishai should be predicting another Turkish military coup, which would boot the Islamists out of power and land them in military dungeons.
28. If it cannot be mended...
Miransky ,   Alabama   (10.14.09)
If ties with Turkey are irretrievably lost, befriend the Armenians and the Kurds. Has Turkey really become so much less a secular country?
29. #5 Shame on you
David Israel ,   New York USA   (10.14.09)
There was a Turk caught in Pennsylvania belonging to a terrorist cell and passing US military site information to terrorists while delivering pizza. Now shall I say that all Turks are a bunch of terrorists? Oh BTW: I have a Turkish friend (A wealthy one) who is proud with his international collection of ash trays all taken from luxury hotels around the world.
30. to # 11
archie ,   usa   (10.15.09)
you hit the nail on its head. Turks do have a history of being opportunistics and picking on the weak ones not too long ago they had caused the Syrian farmer to starve to death by cutting off the water from the Eufrate river by their hydroelectric dams, and earlier they had taken from Syria Eskanderon and Kilikia (an area the size of Israel) and now they are their friends ! ! ! simply beacause they are Moslems like them, The Syrians never even complain about being rapped by these Mogols. Turkey was the closest friend to Hitler, Israelis forgotten all that and befriended them, only now they realized they were wrong all these years! what a sorry and sad story. Israel should pick up the pieces and move on,because God is with Israel. He made Israel to be strong enough to stand on its own without even America. God will take care of all its enemies sooner or later!
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