Turkey's president says Israel acting 'irrationally'

Turkey needs to apologize to the Armenians. After that they should apologize to the Kurds. They probably alos owe an apology to the Greeks. It is clear they should apologize to Cyprus. If all thos apologies are accepted, Turkey can also apologize to israel, Against Admiralty law and against all international conventions, Turkey allowed arms on a ship that was not a war ship. In fact, they allowed arms on a ship clearly and wronfully designated as a ship of peace. Thwere is no difference between this act and allowing guns on a civilian airline. . Turkey is behaiving irrationally. as we see from the history of owed apologies, the Turkish government considers this normal behavior. I look forward to my comments being challenged by people with facts.

Erdogan is mouthing like the Islamist he has become, Turkey votes in Islamists and you expect "friendship" with Israel?? Right now, Ataturk is vomiting in his grave at what Turkey has become. Give them a few years and they will have a civil war to deal with. Nice work, Turkey--good luck.

to the Israel/turkish realtionship. Fos some wierd reazon Trukey thinks that Israel should be begging and appologizing to Turkey for anything Turkey deems offensive. Only because Turkey is only country in ME that was(is ) friendly with Israel does not mean that Turkey can abuse Israel with unrealistic, damaging demands... I would say that erdogan has got to go due to his pointedly anti_Israel views..

I am afraid the Turks really believe what they said. Maybe Erdogan & co. Should go to be hospitalisized for mental illness. For a very long time. Can be helpful.

In as much as Israeli naval experts have testified that the navy had other options that would not have exposed either our sailors or the flotilla to danger, and in as much as the navy was following orders from the political echelon, the boarding of a Turkish ship while in international might not have been irrational, (who knows what our government really wanted to accomplish?), but it certainly was stupid. Think not? What have been the results of the boarding of the vessel, and of the resulting deaths. Has Israel's place in the region, and in the world in general, been improved?

Israel not going along with your plan...?

I think Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister is taking advantage of Turkey as a NATO member in embarrassing Israel. It is indeed unfortunate that he took such position, sorry Erdogan, you are disappointed, your actions are bad. As a Prime Minister of Turkey, a respected nation in the comity of nations, you should show respect to another nation, especially the territorial integrity of that nation. It is not as a result of the love we have for Israel, but out of sympathy we have to support Israel because you have gone too far in insulting Israel. On the issue of Israeli claime for self-defence, i hope and i belief that Israel acted fairly and reasonably as a democratic nation. Again, self-defence is necessary in every day life, thus, Turkish extremist Islamic government has acted irrationally by financing and arming the marmara with terrorists from the IHH who were instructed on exactly what their mission was. Turkey is the one to blame here, no one else. Israel has every legal right to inspect ships in international waters given the ridiculous organisation called hamas. Also, the Turkish Army has bombarded Northern Iraq, a region which is outside Turkey, what a hypocrisy? What a violation of international law? By the way why must the world keep silent in such violation of international law by Turkey, a self acclaimed sanctified nation? How many civilians were killed? Was there any foreign or even Turkish press allowed? So Turkey should step back and look itself at the mirror. Turkey should have some introspection about its life. Turkey should not point fingers to another because its finger may be rotten. Turkey must show respect to Israel.

The only thing that would be irrational would be Israel apologizing for the provocative acts of the Turkish Government and those of its NGOs. Turkey cannot understand this and that is the problem. They have been under the false illusion that their country is somehow better than Israel and that Israel would do anything to repair relations that were broken by Turkey. Well, they were wrong. Now they have boxed themselves into a corner and they will have to find someway to slither out with their tail between their legs.

I don't know what other country Turkey thinks would accept a direct personal public insult to it's democratically elected foreign minister, especially from someone who continues to profess to be an ally. All I have to say to this bombastic islamic FM, is that his pronouncements hold the same value for us as he claims to hold for our foreign minister. You get as good as you give.

Now that the Jews are back in their ancient land planting trees, developing infrastructure, flourishing in the arts and sciences, etc., something that the Arabs & Islamists that forcibly took over the area 1300 yrs. ago couldn't do, suddenly Israel doesn't have many friends in the region? If jealously, spite, and historical and spiritual revisionism were not predominant amongst the mindset of Israel's neighbors, yes, she would have a lot more friends I suppose.

Having allied themselves with some of the world's worst regimes--Iran and its terror proxy Syria, for example--Tyrep Erdogan, Abdullah Gul and Ahmet Davutoglu, et al, now find that they have dug themselves a hole from which they are finding it increasingly difficult to climb out of, without losing political face. Israel must not make the slightest concession to Turkey's intolerable demands. Davutoglu claims that "what Lieberman says has no value for us." This absolutely correct, since there is only value in Israel surrendering its right to act in self-defense, which Lieberman rightly refuses to do. Ties with Turkey on this basis, are ties that Israel can well do without.

Seems like politician's on all sides have been watching a few too many Turkish Movies.

Turkey needs Israel is a ballancing act towards other muslim nations as a midiator and outreach to jewish astate and to show west its a modern muslim nation for a bit to join the western hamasphire

"They don't have many friends in the region, " Gul said. "Now it seems they want to get rid of the relationship with Turkey."

Accusing the Israeli government of not acting rationally is an interesting statement by the president. What is really more compelling, however, is whether the ultimatum to Israel, that Turkey will sever relations absent an Israeli apology, is rational. If Turkey seeks to sever relations, that might not be a rational long-term policy, but the line drawn in the sand is of course a rational means to get to that point. If Turkey seeks to maintain relations with Israel, then the ultimatum given to Israel as a condition for those relations to continue, would appear to completely and indisputably irrational. Rational is as rational does.

Sure we act irrationally as we do not want our country to crawl on it's knees to a Turish president who insulted Israel with terrible slunder. Helped the so called Peace flotila, which included known terrorists, Turkey is on the path of extremist Islam and the Turkish Army has no more the power or the will to oppose. The weapons and training we give the Turkish army will be turned against us at the end,

it is turkey who acted irrationally, financing and arming the marmara with terrorists from the IHH who were instructed on exactly what their mission was. Turkey is the one to blame here, no one else. Israel has every legal right to inspect ships in international waters given the ridiculous farce called hamas and what they have done since being given back gaza outright in 2005. Turkey is acting irrationally when they cozy up to ahmedinejad and assad...lets be honest eh gul? what is it you don't like about lieberman standing up to you? you dont like the FACT that he calls you out on your preposterous and hypocritical behaviour?

Your PM is the one acting irrationally.

I guess many of the visitors of this site just close their mind in front of the reality or live in a dreamworld. Instead of making things better and becoming a real member of the Middle-East family, Israel just believes to be in right and relies on its powerful lobbies in the US. Wake up Israel. World has changed. You cannot make anybody silent by blaming him as antisemitist. Israeli soldiers really committed on the sea a big crime, and Netanyahu has no humanity to admit his crime.

Clearly, if this matter were scaled down, it would be a criminal issue with international jurisdiction. Had Israel had better lawyers, they never would have even allowed for flotilla supporters to make the argument that Israel invaded a humanitarian vessel in international waters. Indeed, a lawyer (any competent lawyer) would tell you that all Israel had to do was wait for the flotillas to reach within the 20 mile, declared exclusion zone and then RIGHTFULLY board the vessel (as it would then be on RECOGNIZED Israeli property). Instead, there was a huge legal disaster. Then, the cover up, which was nothing short of a really faulty defense. The IDF released highly suspicious, and admittedly edited, audio and videos in the aftermath. A rag-tag army of Hasbara proviseurs set out upon the internet making horrible defensive claims on behalf of Israel (some quoting a San Remo manual completely incorrectly -- even though it's not even standing law, just a compilation of outdated, 16+ year old laws). Good lawyers would have not allowed for such a horrible cover-up (indeed, a lawyer tells the client to keep quiet while the counselor does the representing). Yehuda Weinstein, I am challenging you directly. You failed Israel by not preventing a foreseeable legal blunder. It was VERY foreseeable. Then, you allowed the country for whom you take legal responsibility and management over, to make all sorts of shotty defensive claims without doing the proper due diligence to come up with a REAL reply.

Thank you Mr Gul, we are aware of our irrational actions, but we cannot help ourselves. It stems from our deep-seated self-righteousness. We have been, are & must always be the victims regardless of our actions. It is the world at large that is at fault not us. Some of your friends at the IHH were killed because we do not share their view of the world. (Just like the Palestinians). In fact the commandos who raided the Mavi Marmara were meant to ‘visit’ the ship in their pristine white navy uniform expecting to engage the passengers with polite conversation. We do not appreciate your hospitality. Go figure this one out, Mr Gul. When you do, perhaps then we can be friends again.

Nothing less will do. The Israeli action against Turkey was illegal and murderous and Israel has insulted Turkey enough. An apology and compensation paid to the families of the victims or break off relations with a nation that does all in its power to make enemies and then whine that it stands alone.

Is that meant to be a big deal? Is there such thing as a Muslim ally? They constantly hate and kill each other, why should they be trusted by anyone else!! They sent a clear message through the IHH that they were snakes not to be trusted. Cut all ties Israel. Let them get into bed with Iran.

turkey is projecting itself on Israel. Turkey sponsors a flotilla against an "ally" than goes berserk when thepeople attack the soldiers enforcing a suppose allies army breaks almost al relations, criticizes our President (last year) and now trying to cause problems in a Democratically elected coalitiion? Turkey leave us alone

of all the things the different parties disagree on, this is not one of them. The coalition and the Israeli public can see through your lies and the big talk of Erdogan, and it is you, not Israel, who have started this problem and wish to break the relationship to sleep wth Iran and Hezbollah.

an excuse in order to save his face. We are not irrational

has too many friends in the region. The people did not forget the Ottoman rule...

and Israelis should simply ignore his irrational ravings.

Yeah Honor, that is the same issue for Turkey. And its not possible to cure this wound of Turkey if there won't be an apology. It is so clear that the relations won't be the same, and as a Turkish citizen I really dont want friends shooting me from back.

your close ally decides to change courses and doesn't let you know. The Davos tantrum pre-dates Netanyahu, and address to Peres who had little to do with war decision-making; was that rational? How about the failure to help mediate with the flotilla (an ally, would have helped try to find a solution, as Ireland did for Rachel Corrie, and this despite the passport fiasco). Hell, even Syria is saying that Turkey is compromising its role as a mediator, and nato is starting to get worried. Israel is maybe irrational. But at least its not deceitful the way Erdogan has been.

Erdrogen was arrested for religious incitement. He is an hypocrite and is engangering the world order and Turkey by aligning with military dictatorships like Iran

Jews were humiliated for millenia and an apology, even an insincere one, would have been thought as no problem at all. We are now in a new era, and different Jewish groups adopted different modes of behavior. There were the majority pragmatists, but the Revisionists put great emphasis on national honor, according to the Jabotinsky teaching of "Hadar" (Honor)). Arlozorov was assassinated (1933) because he dared to negotiate a deal with Nazi Germany to allow Jews out, thus "stained national honor". M. Begin threatened a civil war when Israel agreed to the Reparation Agreement with post-war Germany. Honor! With the refusal to apologize to Turkey, thus giving up a major achievement of Israeli diplomacy which already David Ben-Gurion pursued, we come back to this issue which afflicts "true" Likudniks. The recent former Russians are of course not ideologues, just Brute Soviets. They object to apologizing in principle, less you appear weak. Houston, we have a problem!