Cyprus-Forum.com

[ARMENIAN CYPRIOT]

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Letters/Ar ... ?id=276616

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hard line – including support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran – demonstrates Ankara’s sharp turn toward Islamism.

Who’s sorry now?

Sir, – Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman was wrong to cite the US refusal to apologize for killing 25 Pakistani soldiers when he was discussing Israel’s refusal to apologize to Turkey for the Mavi Marmara deaths (“US apology to Pakistan may pave way for similar Israel-Turkey rapprochement,” July 5). There are vast differences between.

The Pakistani soldiers who died as the result of an accidental US helicopter attack posed no threat to American military personnel.

The armed thugs who died aboard the Mavi Marmara initiated the confrontation. Had they not attacked Israeli commandos who legally boarded the ship there would have been no injuries or deaths.

The US apology has already achieved its main goal: Pakistan has announced it will reopen NATO’s supply lines into neighboring Afghanistan.

The supply line’s closure was costing the US $100 million per month. Still, the US refused to accede to any Pakistani demands (e.g., a cessation of all drone strikes within Pakistan) other than the apology.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hard line – including support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran – demonstrates Ankara’s sharp turn toward Islamism.

While perhaps temporarily thawing the frozen bilateral relations, an Israeli apology would only raise Turkey’s stature in the Arab world by highlighting its willingness to oppose the Zionist entity. Iran would be emboldened as its strongest ally in the region celebrates a clear victory against their common nemesis.

Turkey likely would continue to demand that Israel lift the Gaza blockade, and in the end Israel would have very little to show for its submission to a country whose interests lie elsewhere.

On the other hand, Israel should certainly be willing to restore normal relations once Turkey apologizes.

[Linichka]

The break in relations is unfortunate for both, but apologising would be absurd....Israel apologising, I mean. Erdogan has plunged a once beautiful country into the Dark Ages.