Urge for Suspending Ties with Israel

Initiated by small groups last week, the week long sporadic protests grow into massive rallies and gain momentum as further protests are reported to be staged today in Istanbul and elsewhere.

Protests are also directed at the Turkish government for Turkey's unfortunate inking of a "battle tank upgrading contract" with an Israeli firm at the same time when Tel Aviv started siege of Palestine leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah on Mar. 29.

Later statements by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit to denounce Israeli "genocide of the Palestinian people" to ease domestic pressure, however seems to have trapped Turkish government into further difficulty.

Official lip service to denounce "Israeli genocide", a diplomatically exaggerated characterization of Israeli operations, far from justifying the genuine strategic cooperation between Ankara and Tel Aviv in the eyes of an indignant Turkish public, stirs frustration among influential Jewish circles in the USA, whose support Ankara desperately needs for continual Washington backing in financial matters.

Bringing together thousands of demonstrators from all shades of Turkish public, weekend rallies in Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, witnessed solidarity slogans with Palestine jointly cried out by left-wingers as well as by Islamists and liberal peace activists, a rare occasion for Turkish political scene.

Keen on tuning in with public sentiments, Turkish government was tolerant towards the country wide anti-Israel protests what it had denied in the past two years. However, Ecevit's flamboyant denouncement of the Israeli operations seems to have hardly secured him from angry criticisms of "accomplishment" with Tel-Aviv in the grievances of Palestine people..

"The government's denouncement of the Israeli occupation is hardly convincing," believes Eren Keskin, chairperson of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Istanbul branch. "They would not have signed the 'tank contract' if they were genuinely against Israeli positions in the conflict," she told.

According to the recently signed contract of 668 million USD value, between the Turkish government and state-run Israeli firm IMI, 170 M-60 Turkish army battle tanks are scheduled to be upgraded in the coming five years.

Turkish military leaders are reported to justify the agreement with preserving military balance with Greece, who is reported to purchase 170 new battle tanks in the same period.

Turkey and Greece, both NATO members, are in continual dispute on the Aegean continental shelf, divided Cyprus and European Security and European Security and Defense Policy.

The issue has also stirred the ruling three-party coalition government ranks as the junior coalition leader and deputy prime minister Mesut Yilmaz of ANAP (Motherland Party) criticizes the"timing of the deal". However Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit dismisses the charges and says: "We have to replenish ties with Tel-Aviv in face of the new situation."

Yet, the same Ecevit, as the Israeli occupation mercilessly unfolded in the West Bank, had to outcry "stop genocide", and call Israeli Prime minister Ariel Sharon "immediately withdraw forces from occupied Palestine territory".

Turkey's strategic cooperation with Israel, dates back to early 1990s when Ankara, in the face of new regional balances in the Middle East following the Gulf War, changed its former diplomacy of isolating Tel-Aviv and shifted to military and economic cooperation what apparently causes worries among the Arab countries.

Alongside increased foreign trade between the two countries and Turkish water supply projects for Israel, the strategic cooperation mainly encompasses joint production of F-16 fighter planes, upgrading of Turkish air forces fighter planes, joint air force training and joint naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean.

Turkey's opposition parties and human rights activists are however not optimistic of the prospects of Turkish-Israeli military relations and urge for immediate suspension of the recent "tank upgrading contract", and further for totally breaking military ties with Tel-Aviv.

"Including the recent tank upgrading contract, all ties with Israel should be suspended, until when the Israeli occupation of Palestine is ended, and Turkish government should intervene in to provide the security of the Palestinian people, particularly of Yasser Arafat," told, Musa Cam, Secretary General of trade Union Confederation DISK.

"The European Union refraining from repeating their mistakes in the Balkan tragedy, should also take urgent action, not to helplessly watch the ongoing massacres," he added.

Yilmaz Ensaroglu, chair of Islamist human rights group Mazlum-Der criticizes the Turkish government with "watching the Israeli state-terrorism arms folded."

"Turkish military cooperation with Israel provides a major indirect support for Israeli aggression in the region," he believes.

"Turkey should send the Israeli ambassador back," calls a peace Initiative by academics and intellectuals. The group has launched a campaign for sending petitions to the United Nations to intervene in and deter Tel Aviv from further military action. They also urge the Turkish government annul bi-lateral military agreements with Tel-Aviv.

Left-wing Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) leader Ufuk Uras, who has called one of the biggest rallies this weekend urges for more categorical measures: "Turkey should totally finish military cooperation with Israel," he said. (ENDS)