Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 14 / Trend U.Sadikhova /
Despite the diplomatic scandal between Turkey and Israel reached a peak, experts do not believe this to rupture relations between the two countries.
"Turkey-Israel tensions are a temporary phenomenon," Galatasaray University International Relations Department member Beril Dedeoglu told Trend over the telephone.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry considered insufficient Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon's apologize for his rough attitude and abusive actions towards Turkish Ambassador to Israel Ahmet Oguz Celikkol and demanded the formal charges of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
The Turkish ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in connection with the "Kurtlar Vadisi" movie, which is considered anti-Semitic in Israel, broadcasted on the Turkish television channels.
During the meeting, Ayalon refused to shake hands with the Ambassador and also forced the Turkish diplomat to Israel to wait for admission for a long time.
Turkey has pointedly rejected the accusation of anti-Semitism, saying that it waits for Israel "compensatory measures" and an apology.
Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon issued a special statement of apology Tuesday night for his treatment of Turkish ambassador to Israel Ahmet Oguz Celikkol on Monday. The message says: "It is not my way to insult foreign ambassadors and in the future I will clarify my position by more acceptable diplomatic means," Haaretz reported.
According to diplomatic source in the Israeli Foreign Ministry who wished to remain anonymous, "Israel is interested in maintaining warm relations, in which, it believes Turkey is interested in."
"We do not look for way to humiliate anybody, it is not the way we do the business, it is not the way we do the diplomacy," the source told Trend over the telephone from Jerusalem. - We [Israel] do not have interest to keep them [relations] cold, we are interested to keep them warm, [but] part of warm relations is to treat each other with respect"
However, the source pointed out that the statement that was made by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan do not follow to that category.
At a press conference with his Lebanese Counterpart in Ankara, Erdogan named recent Israeli military raids on the Gaza Strip as wanton, although earlier, the Israeli media reported that the Palestinian paramilitaries attacked the south of the country.
"when two countries want to keep relations warm they do not slam each other. It [tension] started with
Meanwhile, experts do not believe that glow in the relationship will cause a rift in relations between countries.
According to Dedeoglu, several parties wish to normalize relations between the countries.
"Interference in the matter of politicians, who seek to normalize the Turkey-Israel relations, may help stabilize the situation," he said.
He added that Turkey also expressed different views concerning the deterioration of relations with Israel. For example, the Turkish Foreign Minister did not wish to see Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Ankara, he said.
According to the Turkish expert, the Israeli diplomat's tough position demonstrated against the Turkish Ambassador is directed not only against Ankara, but also against world public opinion, protesting against the construction of security wall in Palestine.
"Through tough stance against the Turkish Ambassador Israel wants to make it clear to the world that the construction of security wall in Palestine continues and does not turn back," he said.
Turkey/Cyprus Project Director for the International Crisis Group Hugh Pope believes no one in the region is interested in rupture of the Turkey-Israel relations.
Both sides have been trying very hard to keep working relationships despite the problems that were the last year. It will be mad to let actions of couple of diplomats be more important than the relationships, and what happened in Gaza and all," he told Trend over the telephone. "For Turkey the main interest is to retain. The Middle East wants Turkey to keep relations with Israel."
He said Israel should monitor its actions, including with respect to Palestinians, and realize that such demonstrative relation to the ambassador only "adds fuel to the fire" and will lead to failure and deterioration of the situation, while all, including Arab countries, want to keep the Turkish-Israeli relations.
"For Arabs who cannot have relations with Israel are important that Turkey will have it, and Turkey should remember that," the expert added.
According to Pope, when the situation reached its peak, it is necessary that both parties to refrain from mutual insults, which only exacerbate the problem.
The diplomatic row has already caused controversy inside Israel. Thus, Israeli Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Elieze, who visited Ankara in November, criticized Ayalon's actions noting that "respect for Israel does not seek through humiliation of the ambassador."
"We have enough problems with the Muslim world. Lacks the conflict with a country with 72 million Muslim populations," Jerusalem Post quoted Ben-Eliezer, who is not in coalition with Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his regret at the deterioration of relations with Turkey, while supporting the protest against the Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon for anti-Israeli policies.
"In the past two years, Turkey is moving away from the EU and the United States and increasingly is moving closer to Iran and Syria," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Haaretz and Yedioth Ahronot.
The Turkey - Israel relations worsened after Turkey refused to attend military training in October due to participation of the Israeli Air Force. Then, Erdogan stated such a decision was the will of the Turkish people.
Meanwhile, Jan.13, Turkish President Abdulla Gul stated that Turkey will officially recall its ambassador from Tel Aviv unless Israel apologizes till evening.
H.Altinalan contributed to the article.
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