World Jewish News

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Clinton urges Turkey: Don't sever dialogue with Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged her Turkish counterpart on Monday to continue dialogue with Israel, deeming the relationship between the two Middle Eastern countries crucial to the future of the region.
Clinton held a 45-minute conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davotuglu during her visit to the region on Monday, on issues ranging from Iran to the U.S. commitment to helping curb terrorist elements in Turkey. "The secretary encouraged the foreign minister to continue important dialogue with Israel because that relationship remains a vitally important one to the future of the region," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said after their conversation.
"The secretary also… reiterated the United States' commitment to help withthe PKK as a designated foreign terrorist organization," added Crowley. The PKK remains a common enemy of Turkey, the United States and Iraq and is a threat to the stability of the region."
The relationship between the two countries was once close, but Israel's deadly May 31 raid on a Turkish-flagged humanitarian ship bound for Gaza exacerbated tensions already in place since the Israel Defense Forces' 2008-2009 war with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Israel has refused Turkey's demand that it offer compensation and an apology to the families of the nine people killed in the raid.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Serbia on Monday that his country would not drop that demand.
"We have three expectations from Israel. We demand an apology, compensation for the families of victims and an end to Gaza blockade," Erdogan said, according to Turkish media.
His comments came just as the Israel Defense Forces released an investigative report on the flotilla raid that blamed the fatal consequences on intelligence failures.
All nine of the pro-Palestinian activists killed by Israel Navy commandos aboard the Mavi Marmara were Turkish citizens, but one was born in the United States.
While in Serbia, Erdogan blasted the U.S. for not responding to the death of its citizen in the same way that Turkey had.
"It is meaningful that the U.S. administration is not interested in death of American citizen Furkan doğan just because he is of Turkish origin. We expect US administration to follow it," Erdogan said, according to Turkish media. "The U.S. administration remains silent on the issue."

By Natasha Mozgovaya and News Agencies

Haaretz.com