 ANKARA, Oct 27: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu (pic) has said Turkey will not change its what he termed "a principled position" with respect to Israel because of its aid it sent to help cope with earthquake that wrecked life havoc in eastern Turkey, stressing that Ankara's political conditions for reconciliation remain intact.
Davutoğlu is the latest Turkish official to claim that intense political climate both Israel and Turkey are going through does not affect both countries' determination to help each other on humanitarian grounds. While speaking to a news conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Davutoğlu dismissed claims that Turkey initially rejected international offers for aid and said Turkey has never considered the aid offers with "[political] prejudice."
Turkey asked dozens of countries on Monday, including Israel, who previously told Ankara were ready to send aid for earthquake victims and international aid have started pouring in since then. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak instructed the military send aid to Turkey as requested. The Israeli aid plane was scheduled to land in Ankara on Wednesday afternoon.
Earthquake in eastern Turkey also presented a window of opportunity for Turkish and Israeli leaders to bury hostilities as leaders of both countries had phone conversations after a long hiatus. Turkish President Abdullah Gül and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke on phone with their Israeli counterparts, Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu.
 But Davutoğlu rejected any reconciliation between Turkey and Israel and said aid by the Jewish state will not translate into change into Ankara's position regarding Israel. "Political conditions remain," Davutoğlu said, referring to Turkey's demands for restoring ties.
Israel has sent equipment and rescue teams to Turkey following past earthquakes as well. And Turkey sent fire-fighting planes last December to help Israel battle a brush fire that killed 41 people.
Tensions between the two US allies increased last month when Turkey expelled the Israeli ambassador after Israel refused to apologize for nine Turks killed in an Israeli raid of an aid flotilla last year. Israel said its marines acted in self-defense in clashes with pro-Palestinian activists aboard a vessel bound last year for Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.
Davutoğlu recalled the forest fire in Israel when Turkey immediately sent two fire-extinguishing planes to battle the enraging fire and said Turkey is distinguishing between politics and humanitarian relations. |
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