Israel starts talks with Ankara

by Peter Lyukimson, Israel. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, representative of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lawyer Itskhak Molkho, advisor of Netanyahu for national security Aakov Amidror will visit Turkey next week to have talks with the government.

It will be the first official Israeli delegation to visit Turkey in the last three years. They will most likely discuss compensations to 9 families, whose relatives were killed on Mavi Marmara.

Israel fears that the finances it will pay would be spent by IHH to break the Gaza blockade. IHH is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, US and many European states.

Israel insists that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no promised to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to lift the blockade and will demands him to abstain from visiting Gaza, so as not to legitimize Hamas. The US and President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas share the view.

Many politicians note that the US provoked Israel to improve relations with Turkey to have Israel interfere in Syria together with Turkey or Jordan. They warn Israel against interference in the conflict.

Turkey wants to be a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian talks, wants to acquire new Israeli military technologies and expects Israeli gas shipments.

Analysts supporting rapprochement of Israel and Turkey remind that Israeli military industry would have contract with Turkey, new tourists. The passenger flow between the two states dropped from 558,183 in 2008 to 79,140 in 2011. It increased in 2012.

Turkey increased trade turnover by 42% in 2009-2012, from $2.46 billion to $3.5 billion annually. Turkish Airlines earned billions of dollars, increasing flights to Israel to 7-8 per day.