Exasperated by Israel’s intransigence and its refusal to apologise and pay compensation to the families of those killed in the Israeli raid on the flotilla, Turkey expelled Israel’s envoy, downgraded diplomatic relations and suspended all military agreements with Israel. Earlier, the UN report described the excessive use of force by Israel; however it said that blockade was legal and appropriate. This is travesty of the truth, as the flotilla was in the international waters, therefore Israel’s raid cannot be described legal or appropriate in any case.

Since 2008 when Israel invaded Gaza, and after bombardment of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, relations between Turkey and Israel had turned very sour. In January 2009 at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had blasted Israel’s President Shimon Peres stating: “You kill people. I remember the children who died on beaches.”

In May 2010 when Israeli naval commandos raided the flotilla carrying aid for Palestinians, many countries of the world had condemned Israel for blatant violations of international law. Twenty Arab nations had joined in expressing grave concern and condemnation of the Israeli aggression on Gaza-bound aid ships, killing nine human rights activists and injuring scores of others. The Organisation of Islamic Conference did not go beyond ‘noble sentiments’ and failed to mobilise the world opinion against atrocities on the Palestinians. Of course, a joint statement by Turkey and 20 Arab nations had called on the United Nations to investigate in a credible, thorough and transparent manner Israel’s assault on aid ship. Muslim leaders had rallied around Turkey in the ‘Conference on interaction and confidence building measures in Asia’ (CICA), backing their host’s call for Israel to end its blockade of Gaza immediately.

Once close ally of the US and Israel, Turkey’s relations have soured since Erdogan started supporting Palestinian cause after an Israeli offensive in Gaza in 2008 and consequent embargo. Turkey was in touch with other countries of the world seeking their help to pressurise Israel into ending the embargo, but to no avail. Also being fed up with ever-increasing conditions by the European Union for accepting Turkey in its fold, Turkey started looking eastward. And there appears to be a paradigm shift in its foreign policy. Of course, Israel’s policy towards Palestinians has been the basic reason for this change.

Many analysts considered the projection of the Israeli military might in Gaza, West Bank or in Lebanon as demonstration of a baser bellicosity of an inebriated state that drew its strength from the world’s sole superpower – the US.

Because of unqualified support of sole superpower America, Israel has defied the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions, orders from International Court of Justice to stop settlement activity in the West Bank, and showed utter disregard to the pacts and agreements it signed to ensure an independent Palestinian state. This minuscule country has so much control on decisions made by the US and other powerful nations that it refuses to abide by international laws and treaties with impunity. Moreover, it is the only country that could get away with assassinating its enemies on foreign soil. Had any other country flouted the international law and covenants, the United Nations Security Council would have passed resolutions and slapped harsh sanctions on that country.

In 2009, Turkey had barred Israel from the air drill (exercise) with Nato, but called off the international drill after the US and Italy pulled out in protest over Israel’s exclusion. For years the joint military operation ‘Anatolian Eagle’ was emblematic of the strong relations between Israel and Turkey. Having that said, Turkey is playing a greater role in the international affairs today. Reportedly, it is involved in creating an understanding between the Taliban and Afghan government. It is hoped that one day Turkey would also support the cause of people of Kashmir. Today, Turkey’s leadership is taking independent decisions because it has the political acumen and is also backed by the people’s power. Turkey reflects aspirations of the Muslim ummah, and is poised to emerge as leader of the Muslim World. Its leadership has put together a strategic plan that aims to make Turkey a world power by 2023. Leaders of other Muslim countries should emulate Turkey’s leadership and start taking independent decisions.

(Courtesy: The Nation)

Exasperated by Israel’s intransigence and its refusal to apologise and pay compensation to the families of those killed in the Israeli raid on the flotilla, Turkey expelled Israel’s envoy, downgraded diplomatic relations and suspended all military agreements with Israel. Earlier, the UN report described the excessive use of force by Israel; however it said that blockade was legal and appropriate. This is travesty of the truth, as the flotilla was in the international waters, therefore Israel’s raid cannot be described legal or appropriate in any case.

Since 2008 when Israel invaded Gaza, and after bombardment of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009, relations between Turkey and Israel had turned very sour. In January 2009 at the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had blasted Israel’s President Shimon Peres stating: “You kill people. I remember the children who died on beaches.”

In May 2010 when Israeli naval commandos raided the flotilla carrying aid for Palestinians, many countries of the world had condemned Israel for blatant violations of international law. Twenty Arab nations had joined in expressing grave concern and condemnation of the Israeli aggression on Gaza-bound aid ships, killing nine human rights activists and injuring scores of others. The Organisation of Islamic Conference did not go beyond ‘noble sentiments’ and failed to mobilise the world opinion against atrocities on the Palestinians. Of course, a joint statement by Turkey and 20 Arab nations had called on the United Nations to investigate in a credible, thorough and transparent manner Israel’s assault on aid ship. Muslim leaders had rallied around Turkey in the ‘Conference on interaction and confidence building measures in Asia’ (CICA), backing their host’s call for Israel to end its blockade of Gaza immediately.

Once close ally of the US and Israel, Turkey’s relations have soured since Erdogan started supporting Palestinian cause after an Israeli offensive in Gaza in 2008 and consequent embargo. Turkey was in touch with other countries of the world seeking their help to pressurise Israel into ending the embargo, but to no avail. Also being fed up with ever-increasing conditions by the European Union for accepting Turkey in its fold, Turkey started looking eastward. And there appears to be a paradigm shift in its foreign policy. Of course, Israel’s policy towards Palestinians has been the basic reason for this change.

Many analysts considered the projection of the Israeli military might in Gaza, West Bank or in Lebanon as demonstration of a baser bellicosity of an inebriated state that drew its strength from the world’s sole superpower – the US.

Because of unqualified support of sole superpower America, Israel has defied the United Nations Security Council’s resolutions, orders from International Court of Justice to stop settlement activity in the West Bank, and showed utter disregard to the pacts and agreements it signed to ensure an independent Palestinian state. This minuscule country has so much control on decisions made by the US and other powerful nations that it refuses to abide by international laws and treaties with impunity. Moreover, it is the only country that could get away with assassinating its enemies on foreign soil. Had any other country flouted the international law and covenants, the United Nations Security Council would have passed resolutions and slapped harsh sanctions on that country.

In 2009, Turkey had barred Israel from the air drill (exercise) with Nato, but called off the international drill after the US and Italy pulled out in protest over Israel’s exclusion. For years the joint military operation ‘Anatolian Eagle’ was emblematic of the strong relations between Israel and Turkey. Having that said, Turkey is playing a greater role in the international affairs today. Reportedly, it is involved in creating an understanding between the Taliban and Afghan government. It is hoped that one day Turkey would also support the cause of people of Kashmir. Today, Turkey’s leadership is taking independent decisions because it has the political acumen and is also backed by the people’s power. Turkey reflects aspirations of the Muslim ummah, and is poised to emerge as leader of the Muslim World. Its leadership has put together a strategic plan that aims to make Turkey a world power by 2023. Leaders of other Muslim countries should emulate Turkey’s leadership and start taking independent decisions.

(Courtesy: The Nation)

Alastair Campbell told a public inquiry into the war on Tuesday that the document, which claimed Iraq could launch weapons within 45 minutes, was a “serious, solid piece of work”.

He also denied a previous accusation that he “sexed up” the dossier to strengthen Blair’s case for joining the war.

“At no point did anybody from the prime minister down say to anybody within the intelligence services: ‘You have got to tailor it to fit this judgment or that judgment,’” he told the London-based inquiry.

Controversial dossier

Campbell described the dossier as a “cautious” assessment which was “owned” by the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), the body which directs the country’s national intelligence organisations.

Danny Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, embarrassed Oguz Celikkol, the Turkish envoy, on Monday, making him sit on a low couch and removing the Turkish flag from the table in a meeting called to convey Israeli protests over a Turkish television series.

A statement from the office of the Israeli prime minister on Wednesday said: “Prime minister [Binyamin] Netanyahu, together with foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman co-ordinated the apology letter sent by deputy foreign minister Ayalon to the Turkish ambassador and hopes this would end the affair.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, said that his country had received the apology it “wanted and expected” from Israel over the dressing down of its ambassador.

“I was told that we received the response that we wanted and expected in diplomatic terms,” Erdogan told reporters at the airport after returning from a visit to Russia.

“The letter includes an expression of apology,” he said.

Ambassador threat

Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, deemed an earlier Israeli apology on Wednesday as insufficient and threatened to recall his ambassador unless a formal apology was made by the end of the day.

“Unless they make up for it by this evening, our ambassador will return on the first plane tomorrow to hold consultations,” Abdullah Gul, the Turkish president, was quoted as saying by the country’s NTV news channel.

After Wednesday’s official apology, Netanyahu “again expressed his concern over the cooling of the ties between Israel and Turkey” and instructed officials “to find ways to prevent this trend,” the statement from his office said.

The series that sparked the latest row between the two countries was a Turkish television drama, called The Valley of the Wolves, which Israel says depicts Israeli security forces as kidnapping children and shooting old men.

That followed a drama aired on Turkish state television last October that appeared to portray Israeli soldiers shooting a Palestinian baby at close range.

Ayalon had summoned Celikkol on Monday to express Israel’s displeasure over The Valley of the Wolves.

At the beginning of the conversation with the Turkish envoy, the deputy foreign minister told cameramen in Hebrew: “Pay attention that he is sitting in a lower chair … that there is only an Israeli flag on the table and that we are not smiling.”

The row came ahead of a planned visit by Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, to Turkey on Sunday.

Alan Johnson, the home secretary, said on Tuesday that the new order would make it illegal to join Islam4UK, also known as al Muhajiroun.

“I have … laid an order which will proscribe Al Muhajiroun, Islam4UK, and a number of the other names the organisation goes by,” he said.

“Proscription is a tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism and is not a course we take lightly. We are clear that an organisation should not be able to circumvent proscription by simply changing its name.”

‘Dictatorship’

Anjem Choudary, Islam4UK’s leader, told the BBC the move was a “failure of the concept of democracy and freedom”.

“What the people will see is if you don’t agree with the government and you want to expose their foreign policy, then freedom quickly dissipates and turns into dictatorship,” he said.

Choudary provoked debate earlier this year by suggesting his group would march through Wootton Bassett, where soldiers’ bodies are honoured.

He said the group’s action would highlight Afghan civilian deaths at the hands of Nato-led forces.

But politicians described the proposed march as distasteful and many called for the group to be banned.

The order, which comes into effect on Thursday, will also ban the group under the names Call to Submission, Islam4UK, Islamic Path, and London School of Sharia, the Press Association reported.

Yulia Tymoshenko claimed supporters of Viktor Yanukovich, the election front-runner, were going to organise vote-rigging in the Donetsk region, in the country’s east, the former prime minister’s main power base.

“A conscious disruption of the election process is going on,” Tymoshenko told a government meeting on Wednesday, pointing to an unusually high number of home voters in the region.

Home voting is said to have been abused in the 2004 election, because it allowed officials to bypass the secret ballot and did not require voters to prove their identity.

That military assault left hundreds dead and damaged millions of dollars worth of infrastructure.

The delegation, organised by the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG), is due to arrive in Egypt on Thursday, from where they will cross into Gaza.

The delegation, headed by Sir Gerald Kaufman, a veteran British MP, is the biggest in years to visit Gaza.

The parliamentarians represent 12 European countries and include Lord Ahmed, Jeremy Corbyn, Baroness Tonge and Clare Short, a former UK international development secretary.