Replies

"Turkey's politicians are trying to get into the EU, that means shun Israel. However, Turkey's military is still maintaining ties with israel." [Alex Marko]

Turkey's prospects for entrance to the EU aren't too good, and the lingering doubt (the forty year tease by the EU) must be just about gone. But I think you've identified one reason that the Turkish gov't was getting strident. The other reason, of course, was Islamofascism and attempts at rapprochement with non-Turkish Moslem neighbors.

"the turks do not like arabs" [camas]

Vice-versa. The Arab online "news" sources berate Israel (non-Arab), and berate Iran (non-Arab), and berate Turkey (non-Arab), sometimes all three in the same op-eds (I hesitate to call 'em articles). I first noticed this in the struggles over fresh water, the use of which is governed by treaties that go back to the early decades of the 20th century.

"Turkey and Israel have a strong strategic alliance." [anotherview]

I agree, and that has worked out for the US as well. Turkey remains the only real democracy in the Moslem Middle East, and the only other democracy (with the possible exception of some of the former Soviet republics) there is Israel. So they have that in common. Due to Greek-American political pressure, US transfer of modern armaments can't always go directly to Turkey, so it's sold by Israel, which in its turn got it from the US. It is obviously in the interests of the US to have good relations with Turkey, due to its democracy and its large, strategically placed armed forces.

"The condemnation likely marks the first stirrings of AKP efforts to change Turkey's Middle East foreign policy. The AKP does not want to drastically alter its relations with Israel, but Ankara appears to be facing a crisis of legitimacy. Despite its Islamic roots, radical and militant Islamist groups have derided the party as an ally of the West and Israel." [Alex Marko]

That's the threat. Erdogan has been pushing for Turkish EU membership for at least the past few years. It would benefit Turkey economically, but also politically, because (for example) their removal of the threat of constitutional military intervention to oust an openly Islamic gov't would conform to the EU charter. OTOH, the French ban on ragwear is a violation of the charter, strictly speaking, and the French don't want a member state in advocacy of Islamic "rights".

Looks like a lively debate here. ;')