Turkey severs ties with Israel to boost authority in Arab world, expert says

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's decision to downscale diplomatic ties with Israel and suspend military agreements is a serious step, which may cause a crucial change in regional situation, a Turkologist said.

As Ruben Melkonyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, “no one expected once serious Turkey-Israel strategic cooperation to come to such an end.”

Melkonyan explained Ankara's actions by a wish to increase its presence in Arab world.

Commenting on the way the situation will influence Armenia's foreign policy, the expert noted, “Yerevan won't benefit much from severed Israel-Turkey ties.”

“To spite Turkey, Knesset may recognise the Armenian Genocide,” the expert noted, however, characterising Genocide recognition as Jerusalem's internal business.

The expulsion of Israel's ambassador over an Israel Defense Forces raid of a Turkish aid flotilla is just one step in many possible measures taken against Israel if it persists in its refusal to apologize for the incident, Turkish President Abduallah Gul said on Friday, September 2.

Gul's comments came just hours after Turkish Foreign Minister announced the downscale of diplomatic relations with Jerusalem, saying the move was a direct response to Israel's refusal to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish nationals in the May 2010 raid.