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"State terror," "massacre," "a state held captive by one party's politics" - these were some of the scathing words used this week by political leaders in Turkey in reference to Israel's policies in the territories. Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn't mince words when he met with National Infrastructure Minister Joseph Paritzky. According to Israeli sources, Erdogan "doused" Paritzky with criticism.
In one biting exchange, Erdogan complained about Turkish parliament members who were held up at an Israel Defense Forces roadblock. Paritzky replied that "Israel cannot supervise every idiot." Turkey's prime minister fired back: "It turns out that you cannot supervise your helicopters either."<snip> This week, Turkey's ruling party managed to derail a proposed resolution in the parliament that featured harsh criticism of Israel. "But don't think that this will always be the result - and in any case, was hardly flattering to Israel," a well-placed source in Turkey's parliament told Haaretz. "We're not talking about a break in relations, but don't think that what has happened is simply rhetorical censure. It's much more serious."
Changes in public attitudes toward Israel in Turkey are either caused, or reflected by, media coverage of events in Israel and the territories, sources in Turkey explain. Recently the country's media has been filled with television footage and newspaper reports of the IDF operation in Rafah - the coverage featured apparently indiscriminate shooting and house demolitions. After a long absence, vehemently anti-Israel editorial cartoons can be seen in Turkey's media once again. One such cartoon shows Ariel Sharon bearing a swastika within a Star of David.Hmmm...more...
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