Israel publicly humiliates Turkish ambassador, Turkey calls Israel 'main threat to peace' in the Middle East

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Turkey's Prime Minister has described Israel as the "main threat to peace" in the Middle East.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking during a visit to Paris.

...

Mr Erdogan was speaking to journalists before meeting the French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"It is Israel that is the main threat to regional peace," he said.

"If a country uses disproportionate force, in Palestine, in Gaza, uses phosphorus bombs we are not going to say 'well done.'"

...

Earlier this week, the Turkish ambassador to Israel was recalled by Ankara, weeks after being humiliated in public by the Israeli deputy foreign minister.

Ambassador Oguz Celikkol was called into the Israeli foreign ministry in January and rebuked over a Turkish television series that showed Israeli intelligence agents kidnapping children.

Mr Celikkol was made to sit on a low chair while being lectured by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.

Mr Ayalon later apologised for the rebuke.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8607795.stm

[scandal 951]

Once upon a time, back in the 1970s, Israel was surrounded by hostile Arab Muslim countries in a state of war with it. But, it had two strategic allies in the greater Islamic world - Turkey and Iran. Both non-Arab states but key partners in the region.

The first of those vanished into Khomeni's Iranian Revolution in 1979, and we see the results of that to this very day. Not that the Shah was great mind you, but from Israel's perspective he was much preferred to the Ayatollahs.

The second relationship with Turkey has been teetering since the 2007 election of the Islamist AKP party. These latest skirmishes are eye candy, since the real relationship is based on economic and trade ties, and above all coordinated military exercises, which have continued. Still - the vibe is not good.

Meanwhile Israel has gained peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and has a "dialog" (if we can call it that) with the Palestinians. I'm not so sure it's been a net gain from the days of old.