"Talking Turkey
Israel and its closest Muslim ally are drifting apart, thanks to internal pressures on Ankara that are unlikely to change
By Norman Samuels | 7:00 am Feb 4, 2010
The first instinct of those seeking to explain the rapid deterioration of Turkish-Israeli relations is to find someone to blame. One popular target is the Turkish prime minister, Tayyip Erdogan, the leader of the AKP, Turkey’s increasingly assertive Islamic governing party, who has publicly denounced Israel’s conduct in Gaza and memorably dressed down Shimon Peres in Davos. Those who would rather cast blame in Israel’s direction can find an easy target in Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who recently attempted to humiliate Turkey’s ambassador to Israel, Ahmet Oguz Celikkol, by subjecting the diplomat to a series of sophomoric staged embarrassments, including forcing him to sit on a low sofa."
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