Turkish President Recep TayyipErdogan has threatened to cut ties with Israel. This assertive action he took
if US President Donald Trump recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
As reported by VOA reporter Dorian Jones from Istanbul,
full diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey just recovered last year,
after Washington made a vigorous diplomatic effort.
Erdogan said, every step of Donald Trump to recognize
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be a major blow to the human conscience.
In his speech to the Turkish parliament Tuesday, December 5, 2017, Erdogan
warned of the diplomatic consequences Trump had to face if Washington went
ahead.
"Mr. Trump, Jerusalem is a red line for Muslims,
Turkey could have severed diplomatic ties with Israel because of this
problem," Erdogan said, as quoted by VOA Indonesia (6/12/2017).
Erdogan has been a strong supporter of Palestine. He has
spoken with Palestinian leaders in recent days. Donald Trump missed a deadline
to sign a warrant. The letter contains delays in the transfer of US embassies
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Since 1995, every US president has signed the
postponement.
Washington officials say the final decision has not been
reached on this issue.
Israeli Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett dismisses
Erdogan's comments.
"There will always be people who criticize, but
ultimately, it's better to have a unified Jerusalem than Erdogan's
sympathy," he said.
Relations between Israel and Turkey are known to have ran
aground in 2010. At that time, Israeli commandos killed 10 Turkish activists
who tried to break through the Israeli economic blockade in Gaza.
Although diplomatic relations have recovered, the two
countries are increasingly on the opposite side of the region. Turkey is angry
because Israel supports a referendum on Iraqi Kurdish independence in
September, while Turkish and Iranian cooperation has deepened relations with
Israel.
Analysts say Erdogan chose Israel rather than Washington
as a place to vent his anger. This is a sign that Erdogan may be reluctant to
attack Donald Trump personally.
Although a number of differences have contaminated US and
Turkish relations, which are NATO allies, Erdogan avoids confrontation with
Donald Trump. And vice versa, Donald Trump also refrained from openly
criticizing Erdogan.
In September, the last time the two leaders met, Donald
Trump described Erdog as a "friend" and their relationship remained
close
S:liputan6.com
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