Is 'new Turkey' rising after Arab unrest
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Xinhua, September 15, 2011
Turkey and Israel butting heads
Despite being traditional allies, relations have soured between Ankara and Tel Aviv since the 2008 bombing of the Gaza strip and the flotilla incident last year when 9 Turkish humanitarian workers were gunned down by the Israeli military when they defied a blockade to deliver aid to Gaza.
Since then, Turkey has taken a series of actions against Israel such as expelling its ambassador from Ankara and suspending military agreements.
Furthermore, Erdogan is taking the Gaza blockade issue to the International Courts of Justice and is fast becoming the most vocal supporter of Palestine's bid for recognition at the United Nations later this month.
"Recognition of the Palestinian state is the only correct way. It is not a choice but an obligation. Let's raise the Palestinian flag and let that flag be the symbol of peace and justice in the Middle East," the Turkish Prime Minister told Arab league ministers on Tuesday.
"As long as Israel does not apologize, they cannot expect of us any normalization of relations," Erdogan added.
Such strong words show that Israel needs Turkey more than the other way around, commentators say. Israel has since tried sticking to its guns with Turkey while hoping western allies would calm down Erdogan, a policy that has failed thus far.
"Bold statements against Israel appears to be the easiest solution for Erdogan to enhance Turkey's image among Arab countries," Schmid told Xinhua.
"Turkey's newfound assertiveness proves it is driven to stop Israel's perceived bully tactics in the region," she added.
