Turkey waging struggle of law, morals against Israeli aggression

It pains me to say that just as Teitelbaum’s perspective on the event is problematic, the information that he cites is almost entirely out of touch with reality. Above all, just as the venture was not one of pro-Hamas militants, neither was it just a Turkish enterprise. It was organized by an international civilian initiative known as Free Gaza. Among the volunteers, who were nearly all aboard the Mavi Marmara, were the citizens of 33 nations, including the US, England, Australia, Greece, Canada, Malaysia, Morocco, Serbia, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Kuwait. Also among the volunteers were 15 members of the European Parliament, 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Ireland and 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein. Just as there were Turks alongside other nationalities on the ship, the group also included Muslims, Christians, Jews and atheists. It is greatly misleading to blame Turkey and the Turkish government for this enterprise, which was a civilian and international humanitarian aid effort in the fullest sense.

And as much of a deception as it is to say that the humanitarian aid flotilla of ships, the Marmara Mavi among them, was just Turkish, it is as much a lie to say that those on the ships constituted a threat to Israel. After all, the flotilla in question was trying to bring humanitarian aid supplies not to Israeli lands, but to the Gaza Strip, which is suffering under Israel’s inhumane blockade and where 1.4 million civilians are struggling to stay alive amidst abject poverty. Just as Israel has no legitimate right of dominion over Gaza or the Gazan coast, the Israeli military’s armed act of piracy, which killed nine unarmed humanitarian aid volunteers on the Mavi Marmara and left around 20 wounded, took place 73 miles off Gaza’s coast, in international waters. This bloody attack of Israel’s is the latest evidence that it has cast away all regard for international law and conventions.

As is known, Israel is the only state on the face of the earth whose borders are undetermined, which has failed to obey a single UN resolution or rule of international law since it was founded in 1948 and which, when it deems it appropriate, occupies the land of nations around it for temporary or permanent periods without any legal or moral authority. Israel, which has been able to occupy Syrian and Lebanese territory for any amount of time it chooses despite UN resolutions, can continue to enter Gaza on a whim and to occupy Ramallah if it so pleases. This latest bloody attack, conducted in international waters, shows how far Israel can go in its disregard for the law.

Teitelbaum’s claim that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had called for a jihad against Israel is completely baseless and like his other claims, does not reflect the truth. It would be ridiculous to accuse Turkey -- which extended a helping hand to Jews when they were cast out of Spain in 1492, and to the victims of the Holocaust in Europe in the 1940s -- of calling for jihad against Israel; it was always the Turks who were willing to help the Jews. From Erdoğan on down, the Turkish government and the Turks have succeeded in distinguishing between the lunatic Israeli government and the Israeli people and Jews in their criticism. Not even a single representative of the government, which has leveled the harshest criticism of the Israeli government’s incomprehensible attacks, has ever used discourse that targets Israeli citizens or Jews in general.

Even if the allegation that Turkey has called for a jihad on Israel has nothing to do with the truth, it is a reality that Israel has been preparing for revenge for quite some time. In order to understand why the bloody Mavi Marmara attack took place, we need to recall what has gone on between Turkey and Israel in the last few years. In contrast to Turkey’s increasingly high profile as a regional peacemaker and stabilizing moderator between Syria and Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert allowed the Israeli army to enter Gaza and slaughter 1,400 civilians, only a few days after his visit to Ankara, leaving Ankara feeling shocked and betrayed. Erdoğan, who felt personally betrayed, reacted harshly to the attack on Gaza, resulting in the “one minute” incident at Davos.

As a result of the Davos incident, the myth that Israel is untouchable was destroyed by Erdoğan, and because of that Israel nurses a hatred for Turkey. Then, in a move to deal a blow to Turkey’s popularity and prestige in the region, and in complete violation of the rules of diplomacy, Israel set up the “low chair” trap for the Turkish ambassador in Tel Aviv. Israel eventually had to apologize to Turkey for this. Israel, which would also like any excuse to deal a blow to the Iranian regime, has grown greatly discomfited by Turkey’s role as a facilitator between Iran and the West in recent days. Just as Israel was counteracting the latest effort of Turkey and Brazil at mediation, the international public has begun to debate the more than 200 nuclear warheads recently acquired by Tel Aviv. Israel is attempting to create the conditions necessary for a military intervention in Iran -- which is member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and at least in appearance has its nuclear program under international supervision -- yet Israel itself is not a member of either the NPT or IAEA. It also holds Turkey responsible for all of this, leading to increasing anger on Israel’s part.

Contrary to what Teitelbaum wrote, Turkey today wants neither to be a new Ottoman Empire nor to fly the flag of jihad over any country or civilization. Just the opposite, Turkey, with its rising political and diplomatic power, is contributing to world peace and stability in all its capacity. Turkey’s efforts at peacemaking as part of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, of which Turkey is co-president along with Spain, have afforded it influence in peacemaking efforts between Syria and Iraq, different factions in Iraq, warring factions in Lebanon, Israel and Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Bosnia and Serbia, Russia and Georgia and completely discredit any association of jihadist goals with Turkey. While it is true that Turkish flags are being waved in Muslim countries, it would be incorrect to say that Turkey maintains good relations with Islamic countries only. Due to its zero problems with neighbors policy, Turkey today enjoys good relations with all of its neighbors, to its east and west, to its north and south. Turkey has good relations with Europe, Russia and the nations of Latin America and is currently improving its relations with several African nations. It takes an active role in many international organizations, such as the UN Security Council, (NATO), the G-20 and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), among others, and shoulders all its responsibilities in that role.

Erdoğan’s government is working as hard as it can to bring Turkey up to EU standards, and advances towards Western-oriented policies and reforms can be seen in the EU’s Turkey progress reports. In contradiction to what Teitelbaum said, Erdoğan’s government is trying to instill EU standards in its country and is constantly running into obstacles due to deep state gangs, such as the Ergenekon network. Turks have been oriented toward the West for 250 years and will continue to confront inhumane attacks and a campaign of lies by legal means while maintaining its high moral ground.