Moti Amichai, Israel's former Consul General in Ankara, believes that recent developments in Turkey's policy are caused by fears that the country has lesschances for EU membership. Turkey introduced its recent considerations in an October 15 meeting between Israeli and British Foreign Ministers, which took place in Jerusalem.

An escalating tension is being observed in Jerusalem-Ankara relations, especially after Turkey's canceling NATO exercises which also envisaged Israel's participation.

The latest incident occurred when Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman called acting Turkish Ambassador in Israel and voiced Jerusalem's protest against Turkish TV show which represented TSAKHAL as an army of blood-thirsty murderers.

Amichai told British representatives that Turks were not absolutely concerned by German Chancellor Angel Merkel and French President Nicola Sarcozi's objections to Turkey's EU membership.

Another explanation to Turkey's new political course concerned high-ranking religious Muslims' representation in Turkish army which served as a kind of balance of powers, having secular leaders.

Amichai accounts for increasing Islamization and extending ties with Syria by the fact that Erdogan Administration feels Turkish people's inability to act as mediators between Israelis, Palestinians and Syrians.

"International community possesses enough tools of pressure to change Tukey's tendency," says a Jerusalem-based information source. "They should be used for averting further escalations of tension," MIGnews.com reports.