Syed Tahir Rashdi
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday Turkey was mulling suspending diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates over its agreement with Israel, announced on Thursday. Speaking to the media, Erdogan said Turkey, who has diplomatic ties with Israel, may close its embassy in Abu Dhabi and withdraw its ambassador to the Gulf state. Earlier on Friday, the United Arab Emirate's minister of state for foreign affairs on Friday described as "encouraging" the reactions from main global capitals to its agreement with Israel. The agreement dealt with the threat of further annexation of Palestinian
territories, which had undermined chances of a two-state solution, Anwar Gargash said in a tweet. The deal to normalize bilateral diplomatic ties, which U.S. president Donald Trump helped broker, has met with mixed global reactions. Typical Erdogan hogwash. Turkey has full diplomatic ties with Israel since 1949. Why not start by closing down the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv first? Diplomatic ties between Israel and Turkey. Israel–Turkey relations were formalized in March 1949, when Turkey was the first Muslim majority country to recognize the State of Israel. Both countries gave high priority to military,
strategic, and diplomatic cooperation, while sharing concerns with respect to the regional instabilities in the Middle East. Although it had voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, Turkey recognized the State of Israel in 1949. Turkey's first diplomatic mission in Israel was a "Legation" and was officially inaugurated on 7 January 1950 and the first Turkish Chief of Mission, Seyfullah Esin
presented his credentials to Chaim Weizmann, President of Israel. However, the Turkish Legation wasdowngraded to the level of "Charge d’Affaires" after the Suez Canal Crisis on 26 November 1956. In 1958, Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion and Turkish prime minister Adnan Menderes met secretly to discuss a "peripheral pact" which included public-relations campaigns, exchange of intelligence
information and military support. In 1967, Turkey joined the Arab condemnation of Israel after the Six- Day War and called for Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories but abstained from voting in favor of a clause referring to Israel as an "aggressor state." At a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Rabat, Morocco, Turkey opposed a resolution calling for severing diplomatic relations with Israel. As a result of positive developments in bilateral ties, the Turkish mission in Tel-Aviv was upgraded back to the level of "Legation" in July 1963 and further upgraded to the level of
"Embassy" as of January 1980. Upon Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem and enunciation of Jerusalem as its eternal capital, the representation was relegated to the level of "Second Secretary" on 30 November 1980. The positive atmosphere in the Israeli–Palestinian peace process in the early 1990s
made it possible to raise the mutual diplomatic relations once again to Ambassadorial level and a Turkish Ambassador presented his credentials to President Chaim Herzog, on 23 March 1992, in Tel Aviv. Israel has maintained two diplomatic missions in Turkey: its embassy is located in the capital city of Ankara, and its Consulate General is located in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul. Until the recent downgrading in relations, the Israeli ambassador to Turkey was Gabby Levy, and the Israeli consul- general was Mordechai Amihai. These missions are responsible for Israeli consular affairs for the Marmara, Aegean, Eastern Thrace and western part of the Black Sea regions of Turkey. In Turkey 2002 election the Justice and Development Party, also known as AKP, won a landslide victory.
Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an visited Israel in 2005 offering to serve as a Middle East peace mediator and looking to build up trade and military ties. Erdo?an brought a large group of businessmen on his two-day trip, which included talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President Moshe Katsav. Erdo?an also laid a wreath at the Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. Erdo?an told Sharon that his Justice and Development Party regarded anti-Semitism as "a crime against humanity." He added that Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a threat not just to Israel but to "the entire world." In early 2006, the Israeli Foreign Ministry described its country's relations with Turkey as "perfect." A joint Israeli-Palestinian industrial park was being developed under Turkey's aegis. Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the Grand National Assembly of Turkey a day apart. Peres described Turkey as an "important player in the Middle East in relation to the United States, Syria and the Palestinians, as well as us." According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, a spokeswoman for the Syrian Foreign Ministry said that Turkey was serving as a "channel of communication" between Syria and
Israel. On a three-day visit to Ankara in November 2007, Israeli President Shimon Peres met with Turkish President Abdullah Gül, and addressed the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Gül promised to help free three abducted Israeli soldiers: Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. After Gaza Flotilla incident, on 22 March 2013, Netanyahu called Erdo?an and apologized for the Gaza Flotilla incident. In an official statement the Israeli government expressed regret over deterioration in bilateral relations
and described the incident as unintentional, regretful and marred by "operational errors". Erdogan later issued a statement accepting the apology on behalf of the Turkish people. Israel also said it would compensate the victims' families. Israel initially declared that the countries had agreed to restore normal diplomatic relations, including the return of ambassadors and cancellation of Turkish legal
proceedings in absentia against Israeli troops involved in the raid, but this statement was omitted. U.S. President Barack Obama, whose visit to Israel coincided with these events and was credited with brokering the reconciliation, said that the U.S. "attached great importance to the restoration of positive relations between [Israel and Turkey] in order to advance regional peace and security." Further tensions started between both during August, 2013 but in December 2015, Turkey and Israel began talks to
restore diplomatic ties; however disagreements between the sides continue. Economic relations between both Israel and Turkey. In 1996, Turkey and Israel signed a free-trade agreement. In 1997, a double-taxation prevention treaty went into effect. A bilateral investment treaty was signed in 1998. Israeli-Turkish trade rose 26% to $2 billion in first half of 2011 from $1.59 billion in the first half of 2010.
According to the Israeli Chamber of Commerce, Israeli exports to Turkey rose 39% to $950 million, and imports from Turkey rose 16% to $1.05 billion. Turkey is Israel's sixth-largest export destination. Chemicals and oil distillates are the primary exports. Turkey purchases high-tech defense equipment from Israel, whereas Turkey supplies Israel with military boots and uniforms. Israeli import of Turkish vegetable products has remained steady since 2007, and imports of prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco doubled from 2007 to 201. Military collaboration between both. In 2007, Israel and Turkey
discussed the sale of Israeli Ofeq satellites and Arrow missile air-defence systems to Turkey to upgrade Turkish military and intelligence capabilities. Israeli defense companies have helped to modernize the F- 4 Phantom fleet of the Turkish air force. Agreements have included air, sea, land and intelligence cooperation, manufacturing of aircraft, armaments and missiles, mutual military visits, training and exercises, dispatch of observers to oversee military exercises, staff exchanges and military know-how. Mode nization of Turkey's F-4 Phantoms and F-5 aircraft – $900 million. Upgrading 170 of Turkey's
M60A1 tanks – $687 million. Popeye-I and Popeye-II missiles. Popeye-II surface-to-air missiles – $150 million. 10 Heron UAV – $183 million. Arrow anti-ballistic-missiles. (Agreed in principle by Israel; approval by the United States pending.) The agreement provided exchange of pilots eight times a year; allowed Israeli pilots to practice "long range flying over mountainous land" in Turkey's Konya firing range; and permitted Turkish pilots to train at Israel's computerized firing range at the Nevatim airfield. The two navies conducted maneuvers during Operation Reliant Mermaid (the U.S. also participated) in January 1998. In September 2011, military agreements between Turkey and Israel were suspended.
Turkey has frozen 16 defense contracts worth billions of dollars since March 2010. Turkey suspended a 5 billion dollar deal for 1,000 Merkava Mk 3 tanks. Turkey also dropped Israel Aerospace Industries Arrow- 2 anti-ballistic missile system worth $2 billion from bidding, with only U.S, European, and Chinese companies allowed to bid. Turkey is a popular tourism destination for Israelis. Istanbul is a 90-minute flight from Tel Aviv. No visas are required for Israelis to visit Turkey, while Turkish citizens with ordinary passports need a visa prior to travelling Israel. Besides all these things, the actual point is being
discussed here that why Turkey is angry on Gulf's recognition of Israel while she did it much much before Arabs?? Is Palatine not the matter of Islam and Ummah for Turkey?? Why Turkey is not withdrawing ties with Israel over the matter of Islam and Ummah? Is this not Turkey’s responsibility to do so??
