Peres Says Israel Ties With Turkey Unaffected by Spat

Israeli President Shimon Peres said his country’s relationship with Turkey will be unaffected by a clash yesterday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

There is “no conflict” with Turkey, Israel’s closest Muslim ally in the Middle East, Peres said at a meeting with reporters in Davos. He said bilateral relations with Turkey “will remain as they are” and that Turkey offers a moderate alternative in the Muslim world.

Erdogan, 54, walked out of the panel discussion in protest after clashing with Peres over Israel’s incursion into the Gaza Strip. He was attempting to respond to Peres’s defense of the military offensive when the moderator cut him off because the session had run over its scheduled time. Erdogan protested that he was being given less time than Peres and left the stage, saying he would not return to Davos.

The encounter underscored Erdogan’s criticism of Israel’s 22-day offensive against Hamas in Gaza that concluded on Jan. 18. Erdogan said yesterday indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria, which his aides mediated last year, have been “shelved.”

The U.S. sees the Turkish-Israeli relationship as a strategic axis that counters its political opponents in Iran, Syria and Lebanon.

Straining Ties

If Erdogan persists in criticizing Israel “relations between the two countries will be harmed,” Alon Liel, former foreign ministry director-general and Israeli charge d’affaires in Turkey in the 1980s, said in an interview late yesterday. “They have already been harmed.”

Two-way trade between Israel and Turkey grew 23 percent last year to $3.44 billion, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. Turkey is also a popular travel destination for Israelis, with Turkey’s Tourism Ministry reporting 537,951 visiting in the first 11 months of last year, an increase of 9 percent from the same period of 2007.

Erdogan was received by thousands of flag-waving party supporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport on his return early today. The premier is preparing for local elections on March 29. More than two-thirds of Turks back his stance on Gaza, according to a Jan. 23 poll by Turkish research company Genar.

Peres and Erdogan spoke late yesterday by telephone and “consider the matter closed,” according to a statement released by the World Economic Forum.

Accusations

During the panel discussion, Erdogan accused Israel of not respecting the democratic rights of the Palestinians and of using excessive force in Gaza. Peres, 85, responded that Israel was trying to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks and accused Hamas of being a “cruel, dictatorial regime.”

Israel and Turkey have close military ties. The two countries hold joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean and Israeli defense companies including Elbit Systems Ltd. supply the Turkish army with weapons and equipment.

The Israeli operation in Gaza left at least 1,375 Palestinians dead, according to the Palestinian emergency services department in the Gaza Strip. Thirteen Israelis were killed, the Israeli army said.

Tens of thousands of Turks have protested the Israeli action in Istanbul and other cities over the past month.

Speaking to reporters in Davos, Erdogan said he was annoyed that the moderator, David Ignatius, a Washington Post columnist, didn’t let him make his points. He said he “didn’t target” Jews, Israelis or Peres, though he called Peres’s arguments “untrue.” Erdogan added that he may reconsider returning to Davos. Ignatius declined to comment.

No Time

“We can’t start the debate again, we just don’t have time,” Ignatius said during the session as the other panelists, Arab League head Amre Moussa and United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, looked on.

After Erdogan left, World Economic Forum President and founder Klaus Schwab made a closing statement that attempted to end on a peaceful note. Spectators included Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama. She was in the front row.

“Nobody can solve this problem with a temper tantrum any more than you can solve it with an Uzi or a Kalashnikov,” Eric Clemons, professor of management and information management at Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. “I’m surprised — the rest of the day was so hopeful.”

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