Israeli FM slams Erdogan for “shutting the door” on reconciliationJuly 11, 2011 - 10:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday, July 10, accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of having “shut the door” on reconciliation with Israel and having no intention of normalizing relations, Hürriyet Daily News reported. “It is clear that this person [Erdoğan] is looking not for accommodation, nor peace, nor normalization, but wants to humiliate the State of Israel, sap its international standing and harm our status in the region,” he said. “I’m surprised he didn’t also demand that we set the retirement age for women.” “He has no intention of arriving at normalization with us. He has shut the door,” Lieberman said. Speaking to Turkish Parliament on Friday, Erdoğan repeated his past criticism of Israel over its deadly attack last year on the Turkish-flagged Gaza-bound ship. “Normalization of relations between the two countries is unthinkable unless Israel apologizes for this illegal act, which is against all international law and values, pays compensation to the relatives of those who lost their lives in this atrocious event and lifts the embargo on Gaza,” Erdoğan said Friday. Lieberman’s remarks come as Israel and Turkey failed to reach a consensus during negotiations in New York over a UN flotilla report last week. “[Lieberman’s statement] does not shut the door on talks. From our point [of view], we will continue to push to get the relationship to where it was,” the Israeli official said. Another diplomatic source said that talks have not collapsed. “Talks [for normalization between Turkey and Israel] were in deadlock, but have not collapsed,” the source said. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Police try to impede Armenian Church head’s access to war memorial Police tried to stop the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Karekin II, from visiting a war memorial. Greece says ready to help as Armenia fights flooding consequences Greece is ready to assist Armenia in combatting the consequences of deadly floods in the country’s north. “He will leave”: Protest leader no longer demands meeting with Pashinyan Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan no longer demands a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. |