Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ANKARA1672
2009-11-19 16:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
ISRAELIS STILL SEEKING A CHANNEL TO THE SENIOR
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001672
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS TU IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS STILL SEEKING A CHANNEL TO THE SENIOR
TURKISH POLITICAL LEVEL
REF: ANKARA 1645
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, for reasons 1.4(b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001672
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS TU IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS STILL SEEKING A CHANNEL TO THE SENIOR
TURKISH POLITICAL LEVEL
REF: ANKARA 1645
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, for reasons 1.4(b,d)
1. (C) Israeli Embassy Spokesperson Amit Zarouk (Protect)
told us November 18 his government, urged on by Minister of
Defense Barak and the Israel Defense Force, continues to
search for a reliable communication channel to the GoT's
senior political level. Zarouk fears the lack of such a
channel reduces Israel's ability "to contain the next
crisis." He harbors no hope Israeli PM Netanyahu and PM
Erdogan would re-establish the relationship former PM Olmert
nurtured with his Turkish counterpart before Israel's
December-January Gaza military operations. Netanyahu,
according to Zarouk, shares his embassy's assessment that the
Turkish prime minister is the wellspring of GoT hostility
towards Israel. The embassy detects significant discomfort
on the part of senior MFA career staff and FM Davutoglu with
the emotion-laden criticism Erdogan has directed towards
Israel, but is unsure the prime minister's distance from his
own foreign ministry represents an exploitable opportunity.
Nevertheless, the embassy is pleased President Gul, whom the
Israelis view as more inclined to civil bilateral discourse,
has accepted its request to see Minister of Industry, Trade
and Labor Ben-Eliazer when he visits Ankara later this month.
Erdogan will be out the country during the visit.
2. (C) Assuming reasonably that high-profile good-offices
roles remain attractive to the GoT, the Israeli cabinet,
according to Zarouk, is weighing an invitation to the Turkish
MFA to join, as a junior partner to the French, in the
latter's nascent effort to mediate talks between Syria and
Israel. The GoI is considering conveying the invitation via
the Israeli MFA Director General (Deputy
Secretary-equivalent) and his Ministry of Defense
counterpart, who may be dispatched soon to meet with Turkish
MFA Undersecretary Sinirlioglu and the Turkish Deputy Chief
of Staff. The embassy hopes such an invitation would induce
better behaviour from Erdogan and restore a Turkish channel
to Damascus that Israel genuinely values. Zarouk said that
when Israel aircraft bombed the suspected Syrian nuclear
facility in September 2007, Olmert used the GoT to convey a
message to Damascus that the attack was a one-time event,
which would not be followed up unless Syria mistakenly
attempted retaliation.
3. (C) COMMENT: From our perspective (admittedly limited to
the Israeli Embassy here),the Israelis regret deeply the
recent rapid deterioration in their relationship with Turkey.
They seem prepared to absorb Erdogan's vituperation almost
indefinitely. We share their worry that, since Erdogan has
suffered no repercussions for his hostility towards Israel,
he may be tempted to make harsher public statements that
could damage the bilateral relationship irreparably.
JEFFREY
"Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS TU IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS STILL SEEKING A CHANNEL TO THE SENIOR
TURKISH POLITICAL LEVEL
REF: ANKARA 1645
Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel O'Grady, for reasons 1.4(b,d)
1. (C) Israeli Embassy Spokesperson Amit Zarouk (Protect)
told us November 18 his government, urged on by Minister of
Defense Barak and the Israel Defense Force, continues to
search for a reliable communication channel to the GoT's
senior political level. Zarouk fears the lack of such a
channel reduces Israel's ability "to contain the next
crisis." He harbors no hope Israeli PM Netanyahu and PM
Erdogan would re-establish the relationship former PM Olmert
nurtured with his Turkish counterpart before Israel's
December-January Gaza military operations. Netanyahu,
according to Zarouk, shares his embassy's assessment that the
Turkish prime minister is the wellspring of GoT hostility
towards Israel. The embassy detects significant discomfort
on the part of senior MFA career staff and FM Davutoglu with
the emotion-laden criticism Erdogan has directed towards
Israel, but is unsure the prime minister's distance from his
own foreign ministry represents an exploitable opportunity.
Nevertheless, the embassy is pleased President Gul, whom the
Israelis view as more inclined to civil bilateral discourse,
has accepted its request to see Minister of Industry, Trade
and Labor Ben-Eliazer when he visits Ankara later this month.
Erdogan will be out the country during the visit.
2. (C) Assuming reasonably that high-profile good-offices
roles remain attractive to the GoT, the Israeli cabinet,
according to Zarouk, is weighing an invitation to the Turkish
MFA to join, as a junior partner to the French, in the
latter's nascent effort to mediate talks between Syria and
Israel. The GoI is considering conveying the invitation via
the Israeli MFA Director General (Deputy
Secretary-equivalent) and his Ministry of Defense
counterpart, who may be dispatched soon to meet with Turkish
MFA Undersecretary Sinirlioglu and the Turkish Deputy Chief
of Staff. The embassy hopes such an invitation would induce
better behaviour from Erdogan and restore a Turkish channel
to Damascus that Israel genuinely values. Zarouk said that
when Israel aircraft bombed the suspected Syrian nuclear
facility in September 2007, Olmert used the GoT to convey a
message to Damascus that the attack was a one-time event,
which would not be followed up unless Syria mistakenly
attempted retaliation.
3. (C) COMMENT: From our perspective (admittedly limited to
the Israeli Embassy here),the Israelis regret deeply the
recent rapid deterioration in their relationship with Turkey.
They seem prepared to absorb Erdogan's vituperation almost
indefinitely. We share their worry that, since Erdogan has
suffered no repercussions for his hostility towards Israel,
he may be tempted to make harsher public statements that
could damage the bilateral relationship irreparably.
JEFFREY
"Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"