Namik Tan: Knesset's recognition of Armenian Genocide to damage Turkey-Israel relations

PanARMENIAN.Net - Recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Knesset will badly damage the Turkish-Israeli partnership, said Namik Tan, Turkey's ambassador to Israel.



He reminded that Ankara recalled its envoys from U.S. and France when parliaments of these states voted for recognition of the Armenian Genocide.



Ambassador Tan criticized the Israeli parliamentary initiative to discuss the Armenian Genocide issue. "I support President Shimon Peres who said that the "Armenian tragedy is an issue for historians bit not politicians." Just fancy a Turkish political figure accusing Israel of genocide of Palestinians," he said, adding that he hopes Israel will never spoil relations with Turkey.



Earlier, Kadima's Zeev Elkin said that discussion of the Armenian Genocide will not "cause trouble" with Turkey and Azerbaijan. "These countries should understand that Israel can't neglect discussion of an issue that has already been considered by all western parliaments," he told IzRus portal.



Meanwhile, Tan remarked that "the parliamentarians fell under the influence of the Armenian minority."



He stressed the importance of developing Ankara-Baku-Jerusalem strategic alliance to neutralize "the Armenian threat."



"We want the Azeri oil and gas go to Israel and then to China and Japan through Ashkelon-Eilat pipeline," he said.