Turkey to US: Flotilla raid an issue between ‘friends’

Washington-based Turkish diplomatic sources have informed reporters concerning the content of talks held by a Foreign Ministry delegation led by Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu with several senior US officials from the departments of state, defense and commerce.

The Mavi Marmara incident was an experience between “two friends,” Anatolia news agency quoted the diplomatic sources as saying while explaining what Turkish officials told US officials regarding the tension between Turkey and Israel. The sources were referring to an incident in which Israeli commandos tried to prevent activists from breaking the blockade of Gaza and killed eight Turks and one Turkish-American during a raid on one of the flotilla's six vessels, named Mavi Marmara and owned by a Turkish charity.

It was the first time that Israel had experienced such an incident with a country it had friendly relations with, the same sources noted, adding that this is why the impact of the Mavi Marmara incident has been all the more shocking.

The said incident had nothing to do with Turkey’s relations with the Israeli state or with the Jewish people, but rather was an issue with the Israeli government, they explained.

Israel has said the soldiers acted in self-defense after being attacked as they boarded the Mavi Marmara. Turkey, on the other hand, is demanding an apology from Israel and compensation for the families of the victims.

If Israel had consented to Turkey’s demands for an apology and compensation, things would have begun to go well sooner, yet Israel hasn’t chosen this route, the sources added.

The Turkish delegation asked the US officials to put pressure on Israel in order to overcome the crisis, noting that the UN panel formed in early August by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to look into the deadly Israeli raid was scheduled to present its first report in mid-September.

Nobody should be prejudiced towards the study by the UN panel, the sources said, predicting that the study would show that Israel was at fault. The sooner Israel offers an apology and compensation, the sooner the problem will be solved, they said, noting that a delay in a resolution of the problem is not in favor of either Turkey or Israel.

The problems between Israel and Turkey are preventing the latter from reassuming its role as a mediator between Israel and Syria -- Damascus is eager for Turkey’s mediation -- Turkish officials told their US counterparts. Within this context, recovery in Turkey-Israel ties will be in everyone’s interest, including the US, they said.

A renewed focus on relations with Congress

The talks held between Turkish and US officials were described by diplomatic sources as “regular political consultations,” which covered, in addition to Turkey-Israel relations, issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program, the course of affairs in Iraq, the Middle East, the Balkans, Afghanistan and US-Turkey bilateral relations.

During talks, the Turkish delegation expressed uneasiness with Congress’ blockage of President Barack Obama’s nominee for US envoy to Turkey, Francis Ricciardone. Ricciardone is facing objections in Congress, raised by Republican congressmen who would prefer someone who would deal more firmly with the Turkish government.

Sources told Anatolia that Turkey is aware of the fact that the problem concerning Ricciardone does not stem from the administration, but from Congress -- the atmosphere in which is not favorable for Turkey. Turkish officials say they think the problem will be resolved in September, as soon as Congress reconvenes, Anatolia said, citing anonymous sources.

These sources, meanwhile, admitted that the US administration has been having some difficulty persuading Congress to accede to Turkey’s demand for the purchase of weapons. The US administration has asked for Turkey’s help in overcoming the present deadlock in Congress, the sources said, without elaborating.

State minister responsible for the economy and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan and State Minister Zafer Çağlayan will represent the government at an annual conference on relations between the US and Turkey which will be held in Washington in October, officials said.

The 29th Annual Conference on US-Turkish Relations, jointly organized by the American-Turkish Council (ATC) and the Turkish-American Business Council (TAİK), was originally scheduled to be held in April. Yet, it was postponed indefinitely when in early March a US House committee approved a non-binding resolution calling on President Obama to recognize the World War I killings of Anatolian Armenians as genocide.

During talks, the Armenian resolution was not on the agenda, Anatolia reported, citing sources who highlighted that Turkey’s contacts with the US Congress would not be solely limited to the Armenian resolution issue in the upcoming period. Turkish officials and the US administration will be in cooperation to inform Congress about Turkey’s policies and activities and its bilateral cooperation with the US on a wide range of issues regarding various regions, the sources said.