U.S. warns Turkey that strained Israel ties could hinder arms deal

[azurnoir]

U.S. President Barack Obama has warned the Turkish prime minister that his country's strained ties with Israel and increasing support of Iran could hinder an arms deal between Ankara and Washington, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

“The president has said to Erdogan that some of the actions that Turkey has taken have caused questions to be raised on the Hill . . . about whether we can have confidence in Turkey as an ally," one senior administration official told the Financial Times.

"That means that some of the requests Turkey has made of us, for example in providing some of the weaponry that it would like to fight the PKK, will be harder for us to move through Congress,” the official was quoted as saying.

Relations between Israel and Turkey have grown increasingly strained since Israel's three-week-long Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which was launched in December 2008 in an effort to stop rocket fire by Gaza militants into bordering Israeli towns. More than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during the operation.

Erdogan condemned the Israeli offensive in Gaza, and criticized the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-warns-turkey-that-strained-israel-ties-could-hinder-arms-deal-1.308318

[azurnoir]

1. White House denies giving Turkey ultimatum over Israel ties

The United States on Monday denied reports it had given Turkey an ultimatum, threatening to scrap a huge arms deal unless the Muslim state toned down its hostile stance against Israel.

Earlier Monday the Financial Times reported that U.S. President Barack Obama had warned the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that strained ties with Israel and increasing support of Iran could hinder Washington's plan to ship arms, including sophisticated drones, to Turkey.

But the White House has rejected the claims.

"I really don't know where they would have divined that from," White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters.

"The President and Erdogan did speak about 10 days ago and they talked about Iran and the flotilla and other issues related to that. But we obviously have an ongoing dialogue with them. But no such ultimatum was issued.There’s no ultimatum," he said.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/white-house-denies-giving-turkey-ultimatum-over-israel-ties-1.308439

[bemildred]

2. Dang, you just don't know who to believe here.

:think:

[azurnoir]

3. some days are like that

here's another that

here's another one from Haaretz hat I hope proves every bit as true as the OP here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4505635

[bemildred]

4. Well, it sounds just as bogus.

A grab bag of wishful reasonings based on nothing at all but anonymus talk.