Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ANKARA1532
2009-10-23 07:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
ISRAELI EMBASSY HOPES FOR BETTER TIMES AFTER
how-toVZCZCAYI302 PP RUEHC RUEHXK RUEKJCS RHMFISS RHMFISS DE RUEHAK #1532 2960729 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 230729Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1043 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001532
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2034
TAGS: PREL IS TU
SUBJECT: ISRAELI EMBASSY HOPES FOR BETTER TIMES AFTER
RECENT TURKEY-ISRAEL SPATS
REF: ANKARA 1481
Classified By: DCM Doug Silliman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001532
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2034
TAGS: PREL IS TU
SUBJECT: ISRAELI EMBASSY HOPES FOR BETTER TIMES AFTER
RECENT TURKEY-ISRAEL SPATS
REF: ANKARA 1481
Classified By: DCM Doug Silliman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Israeli DCM Menahem Kanafi told DCM October 21 that
the Turkish MFA and Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) have
been responsive to Israeli requests regarding a soap opera
airing this week on TRT that dramatized graphic Israeli
violence against Palestinian civilians. After the Israeli
Ambassador had spoken to the MFA and TRT, the episodes
appeared to have had violent sequences edited out. The
Israelis had argued that it was not the violence itself that
was the problem, but the fact that the series showed only
violence perpetrated by Israeli soldiers, did not take into
account "our sensitivities," and could lead to broader
anti-Semitic sentiments among Turks. TRT, Kanafi said, tried
to explain away the violence in the original series by saying
that, in the end, an Israeli soldier falls in love with a
Palestinian girl and the series ends with a message of peace.
2. (C) Kanafi also commented that the sting was going out
of the last-minute cancellation of Israeli participation in
exercise Anatolian Eagle (reftel). Israel had noted during
and after the Gaza crisis that Erdogan and other GOT
officials had noted in public their disappointment that
Israeli pilot trained in Konya had bombed Gaza, and had
gotten several press queries about whether Israel was
planning to participate in the June 2009 version of the
exercise (in which Israel was not involved). "We should have
seen this coming," he said, but assumed that the continued
planning of the military details of the exercise represented
political assent.
3. (C) Tel Aviv is now looking at the planned December 2009
visit of the Israeli Economy Minister to Turkey and a planned
Turkish Parliamentary visit to Israel as indications of the
amount of damage the string of mini-crises has done to
Turkey-Israel relations. Kanafi noted that many senior
officials in the current Israeli government have been
pro-Turkey in the past. He argued that a relatively small
Turkish gesture -- such as a visit by FM Davutoglu to Israel
without a side trip to Gaza, or going to Gaza from Egypt --
would go a long way toward soothing Israeli public and
official angst about Turkey.
COMMENT
4. (C) Kanafi commented that Tel Aviv is generally very
pleased that two former Turkish Ambassadors to Israel are now
at the top of the Turkish MFA: U/S Feridun Sinirlioglu and
Deputy U/S for the Americas, Security, and PD Namik Tan. He
said the Netanyahu government has not yet written off PM
Erdogan, although official and public doubts about Erdogan's
personal willingness to continue a strategic relationship
with Israel are growing. Separately, PM Advisor Hakan Fidan
told DCM October 20 that Israel is a topic that PM Erdogan
and POTUS will have to address if/when Erdogan visits DC
later this year.
JEFFREY
"Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2034
TAGS: PREL IS TU
SUBJECT: ISRAELI EMBASSY HOPES FOR BETTER TIMES AFTER
RECENT TURKEY-ISRAEL SPATS
REF: ANKARA 1481
Classified By: DCM Doug Silliman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Israeli DCM Menahem Kanafi told DCM October 21 that
the Turkish MFA and Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) have
been responsive to Israeli requests regarding a soap opera
airing this week on TRT that dramatized graphic Israeli
violence against Palestinian civilians. After the Israeli
Ambassador had spoken to the MFA and TRT, the episodes
appeared to have had violent sequences edited out. The
Israelis had argued that it was not the violence itself that
was the problem, but the fact that the series showed only
violence perpetrated by Israeli soldiers, did not take into
account "our sensitivities," and could lead to broader
anti-Semitic sentiments among Turks. TRT, Kanafi said, tried
to explain away the violence in the original series by saying
that, in the end, an Israeli soldier falls in love with a
Palestinian girl and the series ends with a message of peace.
2. (C) Kanafi also commented that the sting was going out
of the last-minute cancellation of Israeli participation in
exercise Anatolian Eagle (reftel). Israel had noted during
and after the Gaza crisis that Erdogan and other GOT
officials had noted in public their disappointment that
Israeli pilot trained in Konya had bombed Gaza, and had
gotten several press queries about whether Israel was
planning to participate in the June 2009 version of the
exercise (in which Israel was not involved). "We should have
seen this coming," he said, but assumed that the continued
planning of the military details of the exercise represented
political assent.
3. (C) Tel Aviv is now looking at the planned December 2009
visit of the Israeli Economy Minister to Turkey and a planned
Turkish Parliamentary visit to Israel as indications of the
amount of damage the string of mini-crises has done to
Turkey-Israel relations. Kanafi noted that many senior
officials in the current Israeli government have been
pro-Turkey in the past. He argued that a relatively small
Turkish gesture -- such as a visit by FM Davutoglu to Israel
without a side trip to Gaza, or going to Gaza from Egypt --
would go a long way toward soothing Israeli public and
official angst about Turkey.
COMMENT
4. (C) Kanafi commented that Tel Aviv is generally very
pleased that two former Turkish Ambassadors to Israel are now
at the top of the Turkish MFA: U/S Feridun Sinirlioglu and
Deputy U/S for the Americas, Security, and PD Namik Tan. He
said the Netanyahu government has not yet written off PM
Erdogan, although official and public doubts about Erdogan's
personal willingness to continue a strategic relationship
with Israel are growing. Separately, PM Advisor Hakan Fidan
told DCM October 20 that Israel is a topic that PM Erdogan
and POTUS will have to address if/when Erdogan visits DC
later this year.
JEFFREY
"Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"