Posted on 06/25/2004 2:57:52 PM PDT by blam
El Al suspends all Turkey flights
El Al says is trying to find alternative flights for stranded passengers
Israeli airline El Al has suspended all its flights to Turkey in a row over security in Istanbul. The suspension, which started on Thursday, has left air passengers stranded in both Turkey and Israel.
The dispute follows weeks of growing tension between the two countries' governments, after Turkey's prime minister criticised Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
But the row is thought to be unrelated to Thursday's bomb attacks in Turkey.
The flights were halted after reports that the number of Israeli guards permitted at Istanbul had been reduced.
According to Israel Radio, the decision to stop El Al's six weekly flights to Istanbul was taken on the advice of Israel's Shin Bet security service.
"We hope this crisis will be resolved soon"
El Al spokesman
Media reports said Turkey had unilaterally changed security arrangements covering the number of Israeli security staff permitted at Istanbul's Attaturk international airport.
The weapons they were permitted to carry and their terms of operation were also said to have been changed.
There was no independent confirmation from El Al of the exact nature of the dispute.
But Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman David Saranga said his office was holding "intensive and ongoing contact with the Turkish authorities to try to find a solution".
An El Al official said the airline was trying to help passengers stranded in both Israel and Turkey to find other flights.
"We intend to find solutions for all our passengers," said Itamar Bartuv. "We hope this crisis will be resolved soon."
Tension
Other airlines' flights between Israel and Turkey were not hit.
Tension between the two governments increased last month when Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of using "state terror" in a raid in the Gaza Strip.
The row was reignited when US media reports accused Israel of training Kurdish commando units in northern Iraq.
Turkey has a mainly Muslim population but a secular government, and until the row erupted was a close regional ally of Israel.
But, who am I to correct the english of the English, huh?
Sure, just come up with another couple hundred thousand troops and a few more hundred billion dollars, and then go and vote for Kerry, because he'd be your next president.
Turkey's in line behind Iran, North Korea, Syria, China and about a half-dozen other countries that some people here seem to think we can conquer simultaneously without breaking a sweat. There was another country with a powerful military who thought they could pull a similar trick in the 1930s. Things didn't work out very well for them. This is, of course, completely ignoring the fact that this would destroy NATO and destabilize all the little countries NATO currently holds together.
A bit of an overreaction. My guess is that flights will resume within a week.
This is silly, did Turkey think that Israel was going to try to use these guys to launch a raid on Istanbul?
That'll show them. Only what, I'm not sure.
Turnky ain't in line at all. They are the closest thing to a democracy in all the Arab world, and they have been a pretty good ally. Turks fought on our side in the Korean War, suppoted us in NATO and have helped in various Gulf Wars to one extent or another.
And you don't want to fight the Turks. They may be behind a bit in the tech department (but not as much you think...) but there are lots of 'em and they are tough and disciplined. It would not be like Iraq. It would be a very messy war.
We owe 'em and they are pretty good folks. They ain't in line; they ain't even on the list.
Are you equating the US (by reference) to Japan or to Germany? Or something else?
"As God as my witness..."
"I THOUGHT TURKEYS COULD FLY!!!!"
Les Nesman: "As God is my witness, I thought Turkeys could fly."
I understood the point that you were trying to make, but my question was whether you were making the comparison (of a country that believed that it could conquer many different countries on different fronts) to Germany or Japan, both of which would seem to fit the general description, or perhaps to something else. Thanks for clarifying that it was Germany that you had in mind.
"Invade" Turkey ??? HUH :-) That surely had to be some kind of a joke !. May I suggest that you do a little research as to the strength of that country's Military ?.
"Invade" Turkey ??? HUH :-) That surely had to be some kind of a joke !. May I suggest that you do a little research as to the strength and "courage" of that country's Fighting Machine ?.
NJ_gent
Since Mar 24, 2004
I starting to think this nj_gent is a left wing infiltrator. I saw another comment he made in another post. We need to keep an eye on this person.
NJ_gent
Since Mar 24, 2004
I'm starting to think this nj_gent is a left wing infiltrator. I saw another comment he made in another post. We need to keep an eye on this person.
Correction.
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