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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israeli and Turkish generals still talking amid row |
| 2010-07-07 |
| JERUSALEM - Israel’s military chief said on Tuesday he had been in contact with his Turkish counterpart in an effort to maintain relations in the midst of a diplomatic row over the deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza aid ship. Briefing Israeli lawmakers behind closed doors, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi said he had been “personally in touch” with the Turkish chief of staff since the high seas interception, which Israel defended as part of its blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza. Ashkenazi said he thought there was a limit to Turkey’s change of political direction because as a NATO member it was dependent on Western military hardware, according to a parliamentary official who briefed reporters. On a military level, Ashkenazi thought Israeli-Turkish ties could be maintained as before. “Relations are important, and we must maintain them during turbulent times,” the commander said. “Contact with the military is continuing despite the fact that some exercises have been cancelled,” he added. “I gained the impression that on the military level there is no problem and nothing to prevent continued meetings.” Turkey’s powerful military has long been the self-appointed guardian of the secular constitution, leading to tension with the Islamist-rooted government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. “I do not know where Erdogan’s path is leading them,” Ashkenazi said. Israel is a major defence exporter to Turkey, with annual sales of around $2.5 billion, an Israeli defence official said. In a $180-million deal, Turkey ordered 10 surveillance drones from Israel. Six were delivered before the ship crisis, the official said, with the rest to follow “in coming weeks”. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 ION WAFF > TURKISH ESCALATION? EIGHT TURKISH FIGHTER JETS FLY OVER GREEK CONTROLLLED AGATHONIS ISLAND [Greek FIR Zone]. Part of mere SIXTEEN TAF airspace violations agz Grrece this day. More importantly, the ISSUE OF WINNER OF GREECE-VS-TURKEY BIKINI/CALENDAR BABE WARS STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED AFTER EXTENSIVE REGIONAL DIPLOMACY + NET REVIEW. * SAME WAFF > TURKEY'S MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION SAID THE REVIVAL OF THE "SILK ROAD" BY TURKEY AND CHINA WILL ADD A NEW DIMENSION TO BILATERAL RELATIONS | TURKEY SAYS HISTORIC SILK ROAD MUST BE REVIVED [good for Turkey + China's + Asia's Trade, Geopol interests], + TURKEY CALLS ON CHINA FOR STRATEGIC RAILWAY COOPERATION. IOW, the famed "ORIENT EXPRESS" is going OWG GLOBAL. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-07-07 22:56 |