September 6, 2011 at 6:33pm
Turkey to step up naval patrols in waters where Israeli navy operates
The decision "raises the risk of a naval confrontation between the two powers," and that's exactly the idea. One must remember that all of this high-stakes brinkmanship stems from Turkey's demand for an apology, though it's not really about the apology. It is about boosting Turkey's credentials among Islamic countries, and attempting to isolate and delegitimize Israel.
More on this story, as the irony of Erdogan's calling Israel a "spoiled boy" continues to mount.
"Turkey raising naval presence amid tension with Israel," by Pinar Aydinli for Reuters, September 6:
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is freezing defense trade with Israel and stepping up naval patrols in the eastern Mediterranean, highlighting a potentially destabilizing rift between the two major U.S. allies in the Middle East.Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's threat on Tuesday to send warships into waters where Israel's navy operates raises the risk of a naval confrontation between the two powers."The eastern Mediterranean is not a strange place to us. Aksaz and Iskenderun -- these places have the power and opportunity to provide escorts," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara, referring to two Turkish naval bases. "Of course our ships will be seen much more frequently in those waters."Ties with Israel began to unravel after Erdogan voiced outrage at an Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group, in late 2008 and early 2009.Before that Turkey and Israel had worked closely together on military cooperation and intelligence sharing, as both had sought reliable partners in a volatile neighborhood.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/09/turkey-to-step-up-naval-patrols-in-waters-where-israeli-navy-operates.htmlTurkey, Egypt, and Iran have a pass, need to do something before Obama is voted out.
