Turkish PM: Navy ships to escort humanitarian shipments to Gaza

[Zeid]

@Zeid, You call yourself moderate and your rejection of violence supports that. I'm curious whether you would support the existence of a Jewish state called Israel alongside a Muslim state called Palestine? If this was to happen how many Muslim Countries do you think would then recognize Israel through formal diplomatic relations?

Latest: Looks like Turkey have been told to wind their necks in.

http://www.debka.com/article/21297/

The Obama administration has turned down a Turkish request for drones or for the deployment of US Predators at Turkish bases until Ankara stops threatening Israel with armed attack, debkafile's military and Washington sources report.

Dear Dan

Muslims and jews have always lived side by side through out history, dating from the time of Prophet Mohammad, i do have various friends in Israel, and we share many common thoughts as well as tastes and customs, I do support one hundred percent a two state solution, But reject calling Palestine a Muslim state, as Palestine, belongs to Christians as well as Muslims, and Jewish. let us not Forget where beit lahem is, and where jesus Chrise was born. as well the prophet Moses, he stood in Mount nebo in Jordan over looking the dead sea,

I think Arabs, have also shown their acceptance for the Israel stats, but the west did not show acceptance for a Palestinian state. as for Jerusalem, it contains dome of the Rock a very important landmark in the Muslim religion, we will never accept that it is taken away from us.

my personal opinion is that Jerusalem should become a religious country(similar to the Vatican) for all the major 3 religion, with an administrative committee overlooking it, made up of elected people from all 3 religions, as well as the Palestinian state and Israel state, with each of these two states selecting alternative capitals.

as for how many countries will accept, i think once recognition of Palestine happens, and the agreed borders, with sovereignty *(might be wrong spelling) and being treated like any other country, all Arabs will support, if not i will be very disappointed . but that will not count much i am afraid

[Zeid]

Some very good points JT. Turkey has spent years being rebuffed by the EU, with constant postponements to membership. They have made legal changes to comply with the EU and still the goal post keeps moving.

The Arab world is now like a fatherless child and Turkey is a strong, reasonably stable country who can step into the parenting role. They do need an enemy, however, to solidify support. Israel is a convenient and reasonably easy target.

My fear has been that Iran is going to exercise power in the region. Both Turkey and Iran are ethnically different, so cementing an enduring bond may be difficult. It is up to other countries to make sure we don't drive them into the a strong adversarial situation.

Dear Scott

I agree with your comments, that the Arab World or uprising as they call it in BBC needs a father figure and that might be Turkey, Maybe after so many rejection to turkey to be part of the EU, especially after less economically qualified countries have joined send the wrong idea, some people in Arab Lands say that the rejection is because they are a Muslim dominated Country,

Should they have been accept to the EU will the situation now be different? is this a product of the EU? i do not know these are just questions that i ask myself, maybe since Turkey was rejected by the by they need allies, and that will be the Arab world?

as for the ethnicity comment? between Iran and Turkey, they might be a bit closer Ethenicly to each other than Arabs are to turkeys, but of different sects, Iranians are Shiites, and Turkish are Sunni, with the Arab Countries except for Bahrain Mainly Sunni Dominant, I personally do not see any possibility of the Ottomans and the Persians joining hands.