Israel refuses to withdraw Ambassador to TurkeyJune 18, 2010 - 12:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that Israel will not respond to Turkey's demand that it recall its ambassador to Ankara. Interviewed by Kol Yisrael government radio, the former ambassador to the United States said “the intentions of someone making such demands are not good.” He said Israel did not initiate the deterioration in relations and that the only way to put them back on track is through diplomatic channels, israelnationalnews.com reported. Ayalon added that Israel was pressuring Lebanon through European countries to prevent a Gaza-bound flotilla from leaving, noting that the Europeans understand the flotillas are provocations. He said Israel's easing of restrictions on Gaza strengthened its legitimacy to act against vessels that break international law. He also thanked the European Union for increasing sanctions against Iran's nuclear development program. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |