Turkey and Israel hold joint drill, in apparent ease of tensions

As you wrote secularism works well for Turkey and for the sake of the Turkish nations it should stay like that. However it does not look like it. Today Saudi Arabia is starting to change very slowly and opening a new university where man and women can study together while women do not cover themselves while in Turkey PM Erdogan's party is making every effort to allow women with Islamic head scarves, man with Islamic style beards and moustaches at schools and governmet offices. The funerals of leaders of once illegal sects (TEKKE and ZAVIYE) are now big events where tens of thousands of people from all over the country including members of AKP participate. Alchohol is banned in many places. I am less worried for Turkey Israel/ USA relations more worried for my modern secular Turkish friends who might one day end up hostages to a sheria regime in Turkey.

The Turks for the past 600 years have been followers of the Islamic faith. Even if the Turks become an Islamic State (which I highly doubt it will, as secularism works very well in Turkey) Israel or anyone else for that matter does not need to fear. The Turkish interpretation of Islam is very different to that of the Arab interpretations. The Ottoman Empire is a good example of this. It's Christian, Muslim and Jewish contituents had ived together in peace for a considerable amount of time. The Ottomans opened there arms for the Jewish peoples fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. As some will dispute the Sultan's motives for this, the fact is that at the end of the day,the Jewish people were allowed to seek refuge on Islamic Ottoman soil. Turkish-Jewish relations should not be viewed in isolation, the relations should be viewed over the 600 year timeline. Don't restrict yourselves to the 21st century. History in illuminating the past illuminates the present and future! Shalom.

Israelian brothers, don't be radical like your islamic fundamentalist ennemies. Turkey, since Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) is a Democratic and Laic Republic. Her Constitution prevails over any political party. Pay attention: you have to make friends, instead of increasing the number of the foes. I salute you again. Luiz Felipe Haddad, a Christian Brazilian from Arabic ascendence.

Political b a i t or t h r e a t or l e f t o v e r ? In a complicated political diplomatic situation a strange mixture of bait and threat in a very fluid situation apparently more from the Turkish sight which seem to live in several different world at the same time.-

On one hand I agree with your comments. On the other knowing Turkish public and the AKP's past relating to the MSP party of Erbakan I must say AKP cannot be trusted. My point was based on the statements that Mr. Erdogan had made. One of which was 8 years ago during election campaign told the press he had changed and no longer followed the extreme path of MSP. But when you analyze this in his famous statement about the democracy bus which he would get off once reached the destination one ca no longer believe him. s this statement also a bus to take him to his sheria destination? One can not know anymore therefore he cannot be trusted. This week end when in Tekirdag there was a celebration and memorial of fallen military members in wars. The members of AKP left the party because alcoholic beverages were served. These and many other similar incidents indicate that AKP did not change. It is heading to its sheria destination riding the democracy bus.

I do not doubt your exceptional knowledge of all affairs vis a vis Turkey. What I do doubt is the media frenzy regarding the good relations between Israel and Turkey. Without any doubt, these relations have been tested without any "Train Smash", if you get my meaning. Now,PM Erdogan is embroiled in an embarrassing situation, he will not break off relations with Israel, simply, because these relations are far deeper than many may realize. It is not just a question of the Turkish Military, they are and will abide by the secular constitution as will the party of Mr.Erdogan. Turkish politics are NOT part of the Axis of Evil, neither are they at a crossroads. Have a nice day.

PM Erdogan who these days claims to be the most democratic PM of Turkey (Some even believe it) once had said that democracy was not their objective, it was a bus. Once they reach their destination they will get of the bus. After such a statement it would be dumb to trust him anymore. However the Turkish military can be trusted. They have made it clear that Iran's nuclear ambitions are a big threat to Turkey. They have quietly allowed IDF to use the Turkish air space in destroying the Syrian nuclear facility. The military is secularist and modernist. Despite the AKP government's objections they have eleiminated the Islamists from the military ranks consistently every year in August. The problem is that the military is not willing to make political interventions anymore. It is expecting that the Turkish people wil lwake up and vote the AKP out of office in demcratic elections.

There is NO Trust on both sides !!! So its time to BREAK any Contact and say Adios Amigos...

I wouldn't trust their leadership to sit on the right side of a toilet seat. To gain trust, they have to learn to be unbiased and consistent - which they have not. They have to, once and for all, decide whether they will work and prosper with the West or degrade and diminish with the East.

I wouldn't trust their leadership to sit on the right side of a toilet seat. To gain trust, they have to learn to be unbiased and consistent - which they have not. They have to, once and for all, decide whether they will work and prosper with the West or degrade and diminish with the East.

We should not deliver any waepons to Turkey as: 1) see response nr 3 "zionist for ever" 2) these weapons will be used against the Kurdish people from Kurdistan. 3) To prefent that Turkey has to move out of Kurdistan , like Irak should also, this Erdogan will make any deal with the devil , so for sure with Ahmadinejad.

Typo: "Turkey signed the $180 deal to purchase the Herons from Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit several years ago. Israeli media reported that Turkey was considering scrapping the deal when Israel failed to meet production deadlines." $180?????????????

I have no idea about the details of the agreement, but I think it is a grave mistake to ship our technology to Turkey, especially in the light of our current relationship with that country. Drones are dangerous items in a not-so-friendly country. I think that the whole idea should be given second thoughts.

Turkey cannot be trusted On October 28 Edrogan met with Ahmadinejad where they agreed on military cooperation, intelligence sharing and Edrogan promised that if Israel attacked Iranian nuckear sites then Turkey would provide air force support. They are going to let Iran set up early warning stations so they can detect any potential Israeli attack. Turkey should not be trusted with advanced weapons sales and they have sided with the muslims and enemies of Israel & NATO so they should be kicked out of NATO themselves and they should not be given any role to play in storing Irans uranium which they are now offering to do. Time to rethink the kind of relationship we want to have with Turkey and just how far we can trust them.

while holding manouvers with Syria etc.

Don't like Israel for this or that, just make up your mind. Besides, I know for sure Israel loaned Turkey its own Heron UAVs when they asked, so not sure about this whole compensation thing, just sounds cooked up. No other country has had any problems with this UAV, except...Turkey. Why? Because they wanted some of their own equipment on board, which apparently was not exactly as specified (sure, it was Israel who made it overweight). But so what? It happens, happened to India when Russia took a little longer, its not a problem until people start whining, for their own mistakes no less. Just let them cancel the order, than sell it to Russia, they are about as close an ally as Turkey (that is not saying much), or better yet Greece.