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Turkey ignores Israel in '2023 manifest'

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan neglects to address ties with Israel in new political platform ahead of June elections

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented an updated political platform Tuesday in preparation for June's parliamentary elections, however he ignored the country's shaky relationship with Israel.

 

Erdogan has issued his "Manifest for 2023", a document discussing political strategies in connection to countries in the Mideast and around the world. However, the Turkish leader neglected to mention Israel in any way.

 

The document does not mention any possibility of improving ties with Jerusalem, which were considered close before Operation Cast Lead and reached a new low following the Gaza flotilla in May 2010, when nine Turkish activists where killed during a Navy raid on the Mavi Marmara ship.

 

Unsuccessful reconciliation attempts have been made in recent months, with Turkey demanding an official apology from Israel and compensation for the victims' families.

 

Erdogan, leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), is expected to be reelected for a third term this summer. According to the manifest, the AK Party stresses the importance of ties with Middle Eastern countries and with the United States.

 

Israel is not the only country receiving the cold shoulder from Turkey: In the document Erdogan claimed Armenia's unproductive approach prevents Turkey from normalizing the relationship between the two countries.

 

On the other hand, it is possible that ignoring Israel is a sign of progress after the Turkish National Security Council defined Israel as a 'central threat' in October 2010.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 04.19.11, 21:01
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