The air is tense in Gaziantep. As in many other cities of Turkey, associations for the protection of human rights, religious groups and ordinary citizens, have their eyes on Gaza and Israel and on the evolution of events. A few hours after the Israeli commando attack on Freedom Flottille in international waters in the main square of the Gaziantep stalls put up for the summer festival were wrapped in Palestinian flags, wooden tables have replaced the kebab grills, and a murmuring crowd discusses the facts and opinions, with their ears glued to the two speakers that broadcast news 24 hours 24. It opened a deep wound between the two states, by unanimous political man in the street, which will have impacts on structures in the Middle - East and the peace processes underway in the region, this is the dominant idea. Nine people were killed in the attack, according to all Turkish latest information. A board of three boats, sponsored by the turkish government, there were direct humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza, which for years barely surviving the embargo decided by Israel following the election Hamas. Among the nearly six hundred passengers, determined to break the blockade in a peaceful but determined there were activists, journalists and diplomats from 35 countries, mostly from Turkey. The details of the attack on the dynamics are still uncertain and will be clarified in the investigation relied upon by the UN and the international community, but some indisputable facts explain the harshness of the reactions, especially Turkey, and the frost which surrounds these days in Israel. First, the collision of the ferry turkish "Mavi Marmaris" occurred in international waters 70 miles off the coast of Gaza, by speed boats and military helicopters dropped soldiers, and then outside the jurisdiction of Israel. Second, the Israeli army assaults, even if indirectly, a country that is part of NATO, Turkey, and it does killing and injuring people with peaceful intentions. The day after the attack, all the editorials of the Israeli press have not hidden the truth, agreed that both the country's international image irreparably compromised. Even the focus on the living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza is again the focus of debates, and the old excuse of "right of defense," according to many, but not any longer work as a source of legitimizing unilateral Israeli military operations. "Yesterday there was no one on planet, no journalist or analyst, except that the chorus of his military service, he could say a good word on the deadly collision "Gideon Levy wrote in Haaretz. Turkey is waiting anxiously referring to Prime Minister Erdogan in parliament. In his speech, which resounded in every street and every house, has been able to take the pulse of the country, raising his voice and not too veiled threat by launching. "They have once more shown the world that know how to kill people. Israel can not in any way justify this murder, will not wash away the blood from his hands, this is an act of state terrorism. Turkey will not pass up this massacre, they must understand that the hostility of Turkey is as strong as the value of his friendship, "he thundered Erdogan. In addition, he requested the immediate release of all activists in Israeli hands and the opening of the UN investigation into the incident. Even if the turkish ambassador in Tel Aviv has been called up, you can not talk about the final rupture of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Erdogan declined to say how far Turkey has used all the means provided by international law and diplomacy in its relations with Israel, and will continue so in the days ahead.
is a new scenario that is being established in the Middle - East and connect previous events current developments, it is clear a new balance between the forces active in the region. Until five years ago would have been unthinkable a position of Turkey as clear and above all autonomous from the United States. The decades-long subordination of the previous Turkish governments towards the Americans, and their alliance with Israel, was due to a substantial margin in the assembly of the NATO countries (of which Turkey is the only member among the Muslim countries) and a low power influence in the affairs of the Middle East on leverage. For a long time, relations with neighbors of the Turks Syrians, Iranians and Iraqis were going to be a cowardly indifference to open hostility, which for historical reasons enmity between Turks and Arabs and Muslims, between Shiites and Sunnis, and the willingness of the Turks to show more like the West. Much has changed in almost ten years of rule by the AKP, the Justice and Development party, the Islamic roots. The super active foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu inaugurated a policy of conciliation with its neighbors, at which have been woven into new political alliances and commercial partnerships. The opening of borders between Turkey and Syria, in Iraq wanted the investments by the government, mutual visits by Erdogan and Ahmadinejad in their respective countries and the recent Turkish mediation on Iran's nuclear, are some of the points of rupture with the past and the celebration of new role that Turkey wants in the Middle - East. If we consider the loss of global influence of U.S. policy for bleeding suffered in Iraq and the emergence of powers like Russia and China, it is clear how they are forming new degree of autonomy for the actions of countries that refuse to consent America in their decisions. Undoubtedly, Turkey is one of these countries, which cleverly uses its strategic location and privileged relations with the West and the Muslim world to serve as a new mediator. Israel has benefited for a long alliance with Turkey, the only one of its neighbors to show themselves friendly. The military cooperation between the army turkish and Israel goes back to the municipality of anti - Islamic armies of the two, and was substantiated by exchanges of military and strategic agreements, ongoing. Since 2000, customs duties have been removed between the two countries, and exchanges take place within a free trade area. The Turks had set as a mediator between Israelis and Palestinians who are interested in a resolution to ease tensions in the area. In recent years, however, the loss of influence of the military in Turkish politics, the new relationship with Muslim neighbors opened by the AKP and the reckless military actions of Israel have deteriorated the relationship between the two states. At the end of 2009, the attack Israeli military in Gaza raised harsh criticism in Turkey and a condemnation of the incident by Erdogan, who called it "a crime against humanity." A further series of diplomatic incidents, such as harsh words spoken at the Davos Economic Forum by the Prime Minister turkish against expressions of humiliation suffered by Ambassador turkish Peres in Tel Aviv in January 2010, have spread among the Turkish citizens a hostility with the events of the attack on the "Freedom Flotilla" has reached its critical mass.
Many Turks regard the Israeli army's action an attack on Turkey, and the evidence the unwillingness of Israel to resolve the Palestinian issue in a peaceful manner. Turkey did not wait this time the movements of Americans, and launched into a condemnation in no uncertain terms, using heavy words, eerily similar to those that come from Iranian leaders. The danger to Israel comes from losing a valuable ally in the region, which could become a formidable enemy. As it seems unlikely to be Turkey's alignment with Iran, since the main interest of the Turks is the specter of a war of their borders and do not feed it, now Israel is no longer alone. The stubborn will to keep control of their nuclear arsenals, recently reiterated, and defiance of international law, are isolating Israel by the international community. The United States has tried to resize the condemnation of Turkey, suggesting that the ally is not in this way you will find a solution to the difficult situation in Gaza. But their words are likely to fall on deaf ears, at a time when new international actors, such as Turkey and Iran, take up the challenge of creating major new centers in the world order and decided to act more independently. I believe two factors are fundamental in addressing the Iranian nuclear issue by the Americans, it is necessary to take into account the nuclear potential of the whole the region, including Israelis, in an effort to contain proliferation. The method of the two weights and two measures failed. Secondly, the international community should make serious efforts and jointly to force Israel to remove the block from Gaza and stop building settlements in Palestine, even a child would understand that the Israeli pressure on Palestinian Arabs that food does not consent about extremist groups like Hamas (which was democratically elected by the people of Gaza), and alienates allies or those who try to follow democratic means to the resolution. Ultimately, to change the intransigence of Israel, both for practical reasons of finding the new balance regional and global, both for humanitarian reasons, not to be regarded by history as the Nazis of our time.
Meanwhile, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Ankara, and in all major cities in Turkey, the Palestinians continue to wave flags from every window. Today there will be a state funeral for the victims of attacks on vessels peace, a time of national mourning that the Turks even closer to the Palestinians and put another stone in memory impossible to eradicate.
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