Israel pulls diplomats from Turkey after missions attacked

AFP ^ | Friday, July 18, 2014 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Israel on Friday ordered some of its diplomatic staff in Turkey to leave the country for security reasons, after protesters angered by its assault on Gaza sought to storm Israeli embassy buildings.

Turkish protesters overnight tried to break into the ambassador's residence in Ankara as well as the consulate in Istanbul, with the diplomatic controversy over the Gaza assault risking a new crisis in relations between Turkey and the Jewish state.

"Foreign Minister (Avigdor) Lieberman issued a statement... following the demonstrations and instructed the Israeli consulate and embassy to reduce their diplomatic staff in Turkey," an Israeli embassy spokesman told AFP, without stating the numbers concerned.

The spokesman emphasised that the Israeli representation in Turkey would not be completely shut down but would be reduced to minimum staffing. The measure also includes the diplomats' families, he added.

The Israeli foreign ministry also accused Turkey's security officials of failing to prevent the violence, he noted.

Hundreds of protesters attacked the Israeli consulate in Istanbul while similar numbers sought to break into the Ankara residence of the ambassador after the launch of the ground assault in Gaza, according to AFP correspondents.

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to halt the protests in Istanbul in the early hours of the morning but in Ankara they stood on the sidelines.

[SunkenCiv]

A demonstrator throws stones as another holds a Turkish national flag after climbing a wall with a Palestinian flag at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara on July 18, 2014 AFP / Adem Altan

[SunkenCiv]

Erdogan Slams Egypt’s Sisi as ‘Illegitimate Tyrant’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3182272/posts
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183074#.U8r3XfldWSq

Erdogan targets enemies after poll triumph [March]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/31/us-turkey-election-idUSBREA2R12X20140331

Turkey at ‘crossroads’ to authoritarian rule, Amnesty says
http://euobserver.com/foreign/124551

[allendale]

Ataturk almost was successful transforming a Muslim country into a modern state. Almost but not quite. Sadly Turkey is reverting to backwardness. Too bad the Turks when they had their chance decided to embrace the quasi socialism of the Europeans. If they had embraced productive capitalism, they would have had far fewer impoverished, poorly educated people who were so susceptible to Islamic fundamentalism.

[flaglady47]

Erdogan is now bordering on extremely dangerous to both his own country as a dictator, to Israel, and by proxy to the U.S., as well as to Egypt. A pox on him.

[C210N]

In other words, a natural ally to 0 and his regime.

[Star Traveler]

Here’s a running account of news reports related to these recent events with Israel and Hamas. If you want to catch up on the news accounts ... they are here ...

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/stisraelhamas/index?tab=articles

It’s listed from newest to oldest, so go to the bottom to start.

[Argus]

Turkey still being in NATO makes things stickier.

[GeronL]

Yet it is a NATO member.

If they go to war with Israel, aren’t we supposed to join them?

[SunkenCiv]

When Erdogan goes, it will be by assassination, because he’ll never give up power willingly. He and his fellow Islamofascists amended the Turkish constitution to allow, well, Islamofascist rule (previously the army had a constitutional role, removal of sectarian despots).

Alas, when Erdogan is gone, we’ll look back at this as the good old days. His successors will be worse.

Meanwhile, Turkey still plays the role of the cork in the bottle. Erdogan’s attempt at building a regional economic zone including Iran and Syria failed miserably. His hostility and bigotry toward Israel began early, and the end result is, the only halfway decent relationship Turkey has with its neighbors is with — hold on — Greece. THAT’S how bad off they are.

[SunkenCiv]

If he doesn’t play ball and doesn’t recognize Kurdistan as his only possible regional ally (since he’s dead set against the traditional close relationship Turkey had with Israel), Turkish society will start to go the way of Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks ST.

[SunkenCiv]

Zero and his henchpeople are pro-Iran; Erdogan’s cozying up with Iran was a miserable failure of the “useful idiot” variety; the shattering of the Arab world is very much in the interest of Iran.

[flaglady47]

Bingo.