It has been and continues to be a week of mixed messages from Turkish officials, beginning with the Turkish announcement banning the IAF from taking part in joint military exercises. Turkey later explained that the reason was not due to war crimes charges related to Operation Cast Lead, but rather the failure of IAI failing to meet delivery dates for unmanned aerial craft ordered by Turkey.

Then there was the incident of Turkish state-run television broadcasting anti-Israel programming, showing scenes depicting the IDF in an extremely bad light, supporting the war crimes allegations in the UN’s Goldstone Report. This was followed by statements that the soldiers seen on the program were not IDF soldiers as believed.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has summoned the Turkish ambassador demanding an explanation, and there have been statements and contradictory statements pertaining to Turkey’s position vis-à-vis diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israel for the most part remains committed to its relationship with Turkey, seeking to release messages of calm and stressing the strategic importance of continuing to work together in many spheres, as has been the case in the past.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)