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Turkey raising naval presence amid tension with Israel
Reuters ^
| Sep 6, 2011
| Pinar Aydinli
Posted on 09/06/2011 10:35:56 AM PDT by markomalley
Turkey is freezing defense trade with Israel and stepping up naval patrols in the eastern Mediterranean, highlighting a potentially destabilizing rift between the two major U.S. allies in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's threat on Tuesday to send warships into waters where Israel's navy operates raises the risk of a naval confrontation between the two powers.
"The eastern Mediterranean is not a strange place to us. Aksaz and Iskenderun -- these places have the power and opportunity to provide escorts," Erdogan told reporters in Ankara, referring to two Turkish naval bases. "Of course our ships will be seen much more frequently in those waters."
Ties with Israel began to unravel after Erdogan voiced outrage at an Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip, ruled by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas group, in late 2008 and early 2009.
Before that Turkey and Israel had worked closely together on military cooperation and intelligence sharing, as both had sought reliable partners in a volatile neighborhood.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Israel
KEYWORDS: israel; turkey
To: markomalley
2
posted on
09/06/2011 10:39:34 AM PDT
by
ken21
(ruling class dem + rino progressives -- destroying america for 150 years.)
To: markomalley
Meanwhile, the spoiled brats of the welfare state protest in the streets for ‘social justice’ and ‘revolution.’
3
posted on
09/06/2011 10:42:03 AM PDT
by
americanophile
("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
To: markomalley
The whole world against tiny Israel. Pathetic.
4
posted on
09/06/2011 10:43:25 AM PDT
by
GeronL
(The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
To: ken21
Yep. We are living in Biblically history-making times.
5
posted on
09/06/2011 10:43:44 AM PDT
by
OB1kNOb
(To some, George Orwell's story, "1984" is a cautionary tale. To others, it's a "how to" manual.)
To: OB1kNOb
Yup. SecDef Gates is being very openly anti-Israel. It's all lining up. Israel surrounded by enemies, with no one standing beside her.
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning.
6
posted on
09/06/2011 10:45:59 AM PDT
by
ClearCase_guy
(The USSR spent itself into bankruptcy and collapsed -- and aren't we on the same path now?)
To: markomalley
Israeli military and intelligence aid to the Kurds. Assistance to the Greek Cypriots. It shouldn't be a free shot for Turkey to cause problems for Israel.
7
posted on
09/06/2011 10:46:49 AM PDT
by
Truth29
To: markomalley
16 modern frigates and another half dozen corvettes and 14 relatively (half date from the 80's) modern diesel subs. The rest of the fleet is obsolete. On paper a good force, but their training is suspect.
They operate with NATO, but aren't considered the best NATO has to offer at sea. On land very nasty, but at sea Israel could give them a run for their money despite the Israeli Navy's much smaller size. And if they came within rage of the IAF it would be all over in an hour.
8
posted on
09/06/2011 10:52:06 AM PDT
by
GonzoGOP
(There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
To: markomalley
In the first Gulf War, Israel allowed Scuds to fly into their country in order for the US to keep their fragile coalition together.
In the second Gulf War, US planes were prohibited from flying through Turkish airspace, lengthening the ground war and putting US troops at risk.
So who is Barry Hussein kissing up to, now?
9
posted on
09/06/2011 11:21:34 AM PDT
by
SmithL
To: markomalley
Turkey a major ally to the U.S.? What a load of horse puckey. Who in the hell comes up with this crap.
.
10
posted on
09/06/2011 11:27:18 AM PDT
by
flatfish
To: markomalley
You would think that Obama could talk to Erdogan, on a Muslim-supremacist to Muslim basis, to get him to cool his jets and reduce rather than inflame tensions in the area...
11
posted on
09/06/2011 11:28:34 AM PDT
by
Zeppo
("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume
If youd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
..................
I'm sure this will end well.
12
posted on
09/06/2011 4:29:46 PM PDT
by
SJackson
(Free Palestine, return it to the inhabitants who had the land taken by the Romans, Alan West)
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