Turkey is going "Islam-style" and as such will have no common touching points neither with Israel nor the West. Read the Koran, stupid!

The contrived dispute between the two countries who hold a responsibility to promote stability, cooperation, dialogue security and Palestinian Nationhood in such a volatile region But more than that..Turkish Communities and Israelis and Jews all over the world have a real empathy and warmth and this official mutual cold shouldering just makes no sense Even as a Turkophile..I cannot anymore feel inclined to visit Turkey when post Marmara Erdogan officially stated that Israelis were not welcome and this statement of policy has never been withdrawn

spins around in my head after reading this piece: The sentiments of "peace, love, and good will" just don't jive with the reality. Still, it's nice to hear, especially when compared to the hateful venom spewed by Turkey's current leadership.

you are better than Israel? I don´t think so. Who has had more Nobel Prices Jews and Israelies or Turks? To start, the processor you are using in your computer and probably in all computers in Turkey was produced and designed in Intel.Israel The first UAVS turks used were made in Israel. WE did not started this problem your PM humiliated our president calling his an assesin infront of TV Cameras, because of Gaza. The gazans started sending rockets to Israel cities during more than 5 years before Israel responded. We did not start this problem, we asked your PM to control that ship full of terrorists but he decided to defy us for the same reason you are writing this post you are both full of shit.

I seem to remember the peace-loving Turks slaughtering a million Armenians and thousands of Kurds.

but so totally unrealistic. I myself like the Turks and Turkey as a country. I love their food, I like their mentality. I feel like a brother to the Turks (may be because of my Khazar roots ;-)) but what stands between us is unfortunately the Muslim Brotherhood. The Erdogan government that will destroy all that Attaturk was able to build. Turks hate the Arabs. Izmir will never be forgotten. And we, Middle East people have LONG memories. Ottoman rule over Palestine was also not a roses garden. As the result of head tax and discrimination of non Muslims by Muslim government of the Ottoman Empire many thousands of original Judeans and Bejamin converted to Islam - now they are part of the prblem. Turkey! Vomit out the Muslim Brotherhood!, Turkish Army - guard the secular constitution of the Great Attaturk and kick them out! For your own good.

though your intentions 'may be' good, they are over the top emotional, unrealistic, shallow and naive. International relations are based on common interests not love. Turks did not save the Jewish people (once in a while) because they loved them and that they have good hearts. And believe me Israel does not need our protection, they can do much better on their own. Save your b.s to another crowd but not Israelis.

Oh, please. Don't delude yourself. Turkey is nothing. A convenient field for NATO bases -- until the United States -- the driving force behind NATO -- realizes that it can get a better and much more geographically convenient deal from any number of former Soviet republics that will actually be grateful. I know Turkey at least as well as anybody. I've been to Iskenderun and seen the drydocking yards and shipyards empty and rusting. I know that the fifteen top shipping companies in Turkey have gone bankrupt. I know that Turkey's economy is circling the bowl. You need to be mindful of Israel's generosity. We COULD have blown the MAVI MARMARA clear out of the water. Didn't the Palmer Report -- begged for by the Turks, by the way -- exonerate Israel? Did not the Palmer Report state, quite clearly, that Israel's blockade of Gaza is fully legal and internationally recognized? Why yes, I do believe it did. Read it for yourself. Turkey needs to make a choice. You guys are still the "sick man of Europe." You need Israel and the West far more than the West and Israel needs you. You can follow your so-called leaders and embrace the Islamic Republic of Iran -- which will eventually get you tossed out of NATO -- or you can see the light and turn to the West. Speaking of anathema -- do you think anyone has forgotten Turkey's genocide of the Armenian people? Think again. We remember it very, VERY well. And we see it being repeated against the Kurdish people. Learn your place. It is very definitely below the salt. Do keep that in mind. Don't anger Israel. That will be very painful for you. Keep that in mind as well. As I said, Turkey's economy is circling the bowl. Israel can flush you, any time it wants.

First withdraw from Northern Cyprus and stop oppressing the Kurds. Then we will consider thawing relations with you.

the friends of Israel...??? LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL STOP THAT SENSELESS BLAH...BLAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah, we have heard this before :) unless confrontation occurs between turkey and israel, you can boast about israel as long as you want i think when it comes to israel you loose your senses :) i have seen you saying israel can defeat russia even usa but i have yet to see you claiming israel can defeat world all states together :) mam i dont think you even seen real war, you have fought wars short time and against poor armies of middle east, the real war would make you buy a ticket to usa right away ;)

I was born in Izmir not Ismir and never heard a name like Orgal. Anyway... Let's be realistic. Right now Israel has produced much more Nobel winners than Turkey. Israeli scientists own much more parents than Turkey. Israel is currently in the process of producing natural gas in the Mediterranean Sea while Turkey just bought an old ship from Sweden to look for underwater energy in the Black Sea. Whether Israel needs Turkey or Turkey needs Israel is not the issue. Every country needs friends and peace. Israel proved to Turkey her friendship many times including when Israel influenced USA to lift the 1974 embargo to Turkey. So far the AKP government has been friendly with Hamas, Hezbollah, Omar Bashir of Sudan and blindly against Israel. If you really are from Izmir you will understand when I write AKP's Turkey has been nankor to Israel.

Jackstraw,I mean jackass,what country has Israel attacked in her 65 year existance? All her wars were defensive wars.If she ever decided that enough is enough and went on the offensive,believe me there will be peace in the region within one month but there will be millions of refugees all over the muslim countries looking for a hole to crawl into.

First of all, Israel can roll right over Turkey any time it wants. Have you forgotten that while Turkey is nominally a member of NATO, you're not exactly entrusted with weapons control? Turkey's pronouncement a few weeks ago that it would not allow Patriot missiles to be used against Iran did not exactly serve you in good stead. It isn't your choice. Turkey may be allowed on the executive floor, but no one's giving you the key to the washroom. Your suggestion that the international community would gather together against Israel is beyond ludicrous. But -- should it come to pass -- be assured that Israel will pull down the temple walls. We will destroy as much of the world as we can, and render the rest uninhabitable for the next 100,000 years. Make no mistake about that. I have seen wars, up close and in person. I am also the child of Jewish concentration camp survivors and I know more (albeit second-hand) about war than you will ever learn. What I know about war will make you run and hide behind your mother's skirts. Please. Grow a brain. Don't make us wipe you out. We can, you know.

Turkey stabs NATO in the back by funding Iran via oil/gold swaps. The West doesn't need Turkey, certainly not with the Islamist AKP in charge.

very nice Sinem , congratulations !!!!

Mavi Marmara, it feels good to read this article. You can find people like Sinem Tezyapar in Gaza, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, everywhere. The problem is that you don't need more than 10 fingers to count them. Those muslims who accept the jews' right to exist and live in peace are a tiny minority.

Sure you could and you're good at it, I mean blowing the defenceless fishermen out of the water, sleeping dwellers out of their houses in the middle of the night, unarmed peaceniks of the streets or Pali's sheepherders out of their pastures you're not only good but famous for it ,...

Don't have to a Sherlock Holmes to figure it who ordered ;) ,... She reminds me Samantha Smith an exploited little girl in 80's that lost her life trying to outshout the warmongers ,...

if turkey is so great how come the european union refused you an entry into its domain??? think again. because you are not so grest and because you do not compare to israel in its achievements, technology, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion. europe doesn't want you. period. european know a muslim nation when they see one and they do not want anythi ng to do with you. and by the way, turkey's "achievements in any field, do not ever compare to israel's genius in advancements in science, high tech, medicine, innovations, r and d's companies, stock market advances, parmasceuticals discoveries, and anything to do wit modernism. turkey is still a semi third world nation. israel after 62 years has been admitted to the oecd as the 17th best economy is the world and is known for freedom and modernity. israel, hated by whom??? people like yourself and others that are on campus spitting vile propaganda and lies???? give me a break. the bds movement is ded in the water. no one pays attention to it and it is marginal. completely unsuccessful at its core. and by the way, it is turkey who demands and buys israeli military technology without which, you turks could not kill so many kurds, you bastards! you are a second rate country at best. second rate. get out of cyprus. you do not belong there and the international community, not a single country, according to international law agrees with your occupation of cyprus. it is illegal according to international law. it is also illegal for any country to import its own citizens into an occupied territory and replace the cyprians from that turkish illegal occupation of that territory...and you talk about illegal occupation? you are the one that is doing it right now. once israel becomes completely energy sufficient and independent because of the pumping of gas and oil from its new fields discovery in the med sea, you will be the dust be=in of history. the only reason anyone pays attention to turkey is because it is still a semi secular nation in the mid east. once gul and your fanatic big mouth erdogan islamizes your country, the west will leave you and drop you like a hot potato. free your thousands of journalists from jail. free your generals and ilitary from jail. you are barbarians. do you think if you were so important and great europe would not have given you an entry into the eu? they don't because they know deep inside that you are not a westernized nation by any means and you fail the barometer of freedom.

how do you know i have not seen the war? :) unless you know for certain i suggest dont make such comments secondly i never said whole world would try to wipe you out you clearly misunderstood that part lastly thre is no need to get angry and rude please try to write in more mature way :)

Many in Israel wants to start a new page with Turkey. Maybe you could be one of this page writers...

They won't at least officially they're too scare of a wave of wandering strays, they'll give you enough of rope to hang yourself and let the Arabs to take care of the leftovers.

Anton, I am with you in this one. I believe Sarah must be a bit more realistic and cool it down, stop being childish. On the other hand, I still believe that Israel has more friends in the world than Turkey. Unfortunately even the Islamic / Arabic countries that pretend to be friends with Turkey, deep down they are not. In Israel's case it is the opposite, some countries who seem to be against Israel in some issues (Scandinavian countries may be example) are deep down supporting Israel at least her existence.

Sending terrorists to kill our soldiers and then demanding that we apologize for them not dying upon command and wanting to be paid for an act of war, all typical and so much drivel. Turkey must apologize, try their terrorists and pay compensation for the injuries caused and we can consider their requests. Until then - forget it.

Maybe Ms Tezyapar is sincere,but appealing to long past history(and sometimes inaccurately and deceptively) and using the right buzz words doesn't change present problems. The fact is that her present Turkish government has taken a hostile stance to Israel and has attempted to undermine its security.If she really believes that Israel should compensate for the Mavi Marmara affair,it goes to show the insidious affect that an Islamist government can have on even 'liberal' citizens' outlook.But she's right;it's for Israeli's to decide and I can only hope they decide NOT to compensate. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!!

Turkey is the next one in a long line of crowd that have learned the hard way not to trust or count on Jewish gratefulness - Who's next ? ,...

What gratefulness are you talking about? Turkey allowed the Sephardi Jews to come so that they could be a balance against the hostile Greek majority in the western Anatolia and Thrace which the ottoman had forcefully took from the Eastern Roman Empire. Turkey did allow a few German Jewish prominent professor to come and teach in the Universities during WW II but did not allow common Jews. In fact the Struma was let go into the Black sea with a broken engine and eventually was shot by a Russian sub killing all but one of the passengers. The passengers of the Parita also were not allowed to land even for medical reasons but they were luckier and made it to Palestine. I lived through the September 6-7, 1955 pogroms. My parents experienced the 1936 Kirklareli pogroms, the 1941 Varlik vergisi (A special tax law that was designed to send Jews to labor camps in Ashkale) and the 20th draft military service for which really was labor camp for young Jewish males. On the other hand Israel lobby in the USA worked very hard so that US would lift the 1974 embargo imposed on Turkey after the Cyprus invasion (I personally took part to these efforts) Again let me ask What gratefulness are you talking about?