ZAKHO, Iraq — A Turkey as resurgent as at any time since its Ottoman glory is projecting influence through a turbulent Iraq, from the boomtowns of the north to the oil fields near southernmost Basra, in a show of power that illustrates its growing heft across an Arab world long suspicious of it.

Multimedia Slide Show Turkey’s Soft Power in Iraq . Related After a Court Ruling, Turkey Frees 23 Suspected Militants (January 5, 2011)

Enlarge This Image Ayman Oghanna for The New York Times Construction at Basra’s Sport City in Iraq. Turkish diplomats say that businesspeople from their country face little competition there. More Photos »

Its ascent here, in an arena contested by the United States and Iran, may prove its greatest success so far, as it emerges from the shadow of its alliance with the West to chart an often assertive and independent foreign policy.

Turkey’s influence is greater in northern Iraq and broader, though not deeper, than Iran’s in the rest of the country. While the United States invaded and occupied Iraq, losing more than 4,400 troops there, Turkey now exerts what may prove a more lasting legacy — so-called soft power, the assertion of influence through culture, education and business.

“This is the trick — we are very much welcome here,” said Ali Riza Ozcoskun, who heads Turkey’s consulate in Basra, one of four diplomatic posts it has in Iraq.

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Turkey

A UN-appointed panel said today that Israeli forces violated international law, “including international humanitarian and human rights law”, during and after their lethal attack on a flotilla of ships attempting to break the blockade of Gaza in May.
The UN Human Rights Council’s fact-finding mission judged Israel’s naval blockade of the Palestinian territory to be “unlawful” because there was a humanitarian crisis in Gaza at the time.
The panel’s report, published today, described Israel’s military response to the flotilla as “disproportionate” and said it “betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality”.
Eight Turkish activists and one Turkish-American were killed in the raid, which prompted international criticism of both the attack and Israel’s policy of blockading the Gaza Strip. Israel has since eased its embargo, although still refuses to allow full imports and exports and the free movement of people.
Israel says the soldiers acted in self-defence. But the mission criticised the Israeli government for failing to co-operate with its inquiry. “Regrettably to date, no information has been given to the mission by or on behalf of the government of Israel,” it said.
The panel was led by Karl Hudson-Phillips, a retired judge of the international criminal court and former attorney general of Trinidad and Tobago.

To read more click:Gaza flotilla attack: UN report condemns Israeli ‘brutality’

Analyst: Another Approach Should be Taken to Resolve Israel-Palestinian Conflict

Stephen Kinzer, a journalist and author of the book ‘Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been visiting Washington and New York. He met with U.S. President Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to discuss issues, including the Middle East peace process. Mr. Obama said the Israeli leader showed a willingness to engage in serious talks with the Palestinians. Mr. Netanyahu said it was time for direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians to begin.

However, Stephen Kinzer, a journalist and author of the book Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America’s Future, which looks at conflict resolution in the Middle East, believes another approach should be taken to resolve the conflict. VOA’s Susan Yackee asked him what new policies the United States could pursue to help stabilize the region.
Kinzer: I start from the idea that our policies are really stuck in the past. We have a policy designed to confront the Middle East of the Cold War, but the Cold War’s been over for more than 20 years and our policy is stuck in the past. So I feel that we need new ideas and creative thinking and “out of the box” approaches to that region. That’s my first conclusion.

The second is, as we approach that region in a new way to try to promote our own interests and the interests of stability in the Middle East, we would be wise to look for partners and not try to do it all ourselves and assume that only we have the good ideas in the Middle East.

And my third is, who would those partners be? If you look around that region and ask yourselves, “Which countries have long-term strategic goals that are similar to ours and also have societies that are similar to ours?” The only two Muslim countries in the Middle East that fulfill those criteria are Turkey, and surprise, Iran. So, I think in the future, in the 21st century, you’re gonna see the emergence of this power triangle: U.S., Turkey, and Iran.

Yackee: But why should the U.S. pursue a partnership with Turkey and Iran?

Kinzer: There are different reasons for the both of them. I think in both cases, you see societies that are open and democratic and eager to engage with the rest of the world. In Iran, you don’t see a government that encourages that but the society in Iran, as I found in my recent visit there last month, is amazingly vibrant and democratic. But over the long run, what about strategic goals? So it’s not a hard sell to say that Turkey and the U.S. have closely linked strategic goals.

After all, we’ve been NATO allies with them for decades. But what about Iran? Isn’t it a little counterfactual to think of the U.S. in a strategic partnership with Iran? I’d suggest this: First of all, Iran has a great ability to stabilize Iraq. They can do more to stabilize Iraq than anyone else, particularly in cooperation with the Turks who have very good ties to the Sunni factions there. So if we want to get out of Iraq, without another explosion of violence there, Iran is a vital partner and also has the great ability to stabilize Afghanistan on the other border.

Iran, of course, has long relations with Afghanistan and a lot of Afghanistan used to be a part of Iran up until Iran lost a few wars in the 19th century. Iran is eager to ensure the free flow of energy resources from the Persian Gulf to the West. Iran is the bitter enemy of radical movements like Taliban and al-Qaeda.

So when you look forward and put aside the prejudices of the moment, you think about state interests, which don’t change when regimes change, you see that Iran’s long-term state interests, along with its vibrantly democratic society, if not government, make it a very intriguing potential partner for the United States.

Yackee: Well, should the U.S. rethink its relationship with Israel?

Kinzer: I think it is right for the U.S. to maintain a long-term strategic partnership with Israel, but when I was in Israel researching this new book I have, I did find a new growing body of opinion in Israel and I think it’s also reflected in the United States. It’s asking themselves, “Are our political leaders able to make decisions that really guard our security over the long run or are we taking steps that seem to defend ourselves right now, but may undermine our security in the long run?”

So, I’d like to see the United States adopt a view that in the long run, Israel is not going to be able to defend itself forever with only military means. The best guarantee for Israel’s long-term security is a calm neighborhood.

Therefore, anything the United States or anyone else from outside the region does in the Middle East that helps stabilize that region and diffuse confrontation is actually good for Israel in the long run.

Yackee: Could Turkey be the arbitrator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Kinzer: I hope so and I fear that the confrontation over Turkey and Israel over this Gaza flotilla in recent weeks might weaken that possibility. That’s a very bad idea. Turkey is caught up in a lot of emotion now, because their citizens were killed on the high seas and there’s a lot of anger about what’s happening in Gaza.

But Turkey should not pick up one of the bad habits of the United States. One of our bad habits is that we make our foreign policy often based on emotion without stopping to think about what’s really in our long-term interests.

Turkey’s in an emotional state about Israel now, but actually the Turkey-Israel relationship is so important for the Middle East. Israel needs a Muslim country as a bridge out of its isolation. Only Turkey can play that role because of its long relationship with Israel. Turkey needs to ratchet down its feelings of anger and confrontation and realize that since it also wants a stable Middle East, it needs to maintain a good relationship with Israel.

To read more click..
Turkey and Iran are Best Strategic Partners for USA in Middle East

Part 1 – CrossTalk on Israel Raid on Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Part 2 – CrossTalk on Israel Raid on Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Part 3 – CrossTalk on Israel Raid on Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Rattling The Cage: I blame my country

As evil as the flotilla jihadists were, they were acting in a righteous cause: Freedom for Gaza.

Like every other country, Israel has done some awfully bloody-minded things over the years. We’ve tyrannized the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and colonized their land. We’ve sold billions of dollars worth of arms and military expertise to murderous dictators across Africa, Latin America and Asia. We elected two prime ministers, Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, who headed national liberation movements that deliberately killed hundreds of Arab civilians along with scores of British officials and soldiers, and whose stated goal at the time was a Jewish state on both sides of the Jordan River.

Most recently, we elevated to the post of foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, whom even Martin Peretz, the belligerently pro-Israel editor-in-chief of The New Republic, describes as a “neo-fascist.”

But still, none of this takes away Israel’s right to sovereignty within its legitimate, pre-occupation borders, including its territorial waters and airspace. And what sovereignty means, finally, is that we have the right to use force to defend our land, water and airspace against any attempt by a foreign entity to take control over it.

A hypothetical case: If the UN, for whatever reason, decided to blockade Israel’s coast, to stop ships going in and out, we would have the right to forcibly break it. And if, being under blockade, we couldn’t break it ourselves, our supporters abroad would have the right to do it for us – certainly the moral right, maybe the internationally legal right, too.

Now let’s say that to break the UN blockade, several hundred international friends of Israel – hawks, doves, Jews, gentiles, etc. – got up a flotilla of ships and sailed for Haifa. And let’s say the lead ship, named the SS Baruch Goldstein, was loaded with Kachniks from America. And let’s say UN soldiers, determined to enforce the blockade, tried to commandeer the Baruch Goldstein and were attacked by a mob of Kachniks with knives, clubs and metal rods.

Now all decent people loathe everything that Kach and the example of Baruch Goldstein stand for. And even if they were fighting in a cause as just as Israel’s right to sovereignty, the Kachniks aboard the Baruch Goldstein would remain loathsome and so would their ideology.

But as evil as they are, it would still not justify the UN blockade of Israel’s coast. And as evil as they are, it still wouldn’t mean their attack on the soldiers enforcing the blockade was wrong.

Only a pacifist could say that, and around here there are very, very few pacifists.

WHICH BRINGS me to Monday morning’s raid on the Mavi Marmara. It was wrong. It was wrong because the Gazans, no less than Israelis, have the right to sovereignty within their legitimate borders, including their territorial waters and airspace. And nothing they’ve done, nothing they believe, no one they’ve elected gives Israel the right to control their country or take away the Gazans’ right to defend it with force.

The Palestinians are no more a nation than Israelis are, but they’re no less of one, either. Whoever’s guiltier in our 130-year conflict, there’s plenty of guilt on both sides, as there is on the side of every nation. But still, guilt doesn’t take away any nation’s right to be free.

I know what Hamas is. And I have no trouble believing the reports, Israeli and foreign, that this Turkish IHH organization behind theMavi Marmara is pro-Hamas, pro-jihad. These are not peace activists; these are not good people at all. These are loathsome people.

They’re no worse than Kachniks, but they’re no better, either.

But as evil as these jihadists are, they were acting in a cause the whole decent, democratic world knows is right: Freedom for Gaza. Freedom for the Palestinians. An end to the occupation. An end to the blockade.

And here’s the part that’s hard to accept, but that’s nevertheless true: The justice of that cause, and the injustice of Israel’s blockade, means those bastards on the Mavi Marmara had the right to attack our soldiers.

I hate admitting that. I really do. I’m going to be sending two sons into the IDF, too. And I am furious at my country for giving those bastards the right, the legitimacy, to attack our soldiers.

I don’t blame the commandos for killing those people; they were defending themselves. I blame my country for putting them on that ship in the first place. And I blame my country for the deaths, for the injuries, for the blood that was spilled – on both sides. It was spilled, finally, because my country denies another country its freedom.

a Jpost article

Turkey recalls envoy over Gaza flotilla deaths, accuses Israel of ‘state terrorism’
Egypt summons Israeli ambassador after nine activists killed in Israel Navy raid; Arab League urges member states to ‘reconsider dealings with Israel’; Abbas: Israel committed ‘massacre’.

Turkey announced Monday that it was recalling its ambassador to Israel after at least nine international activists were killed when Israel Navy commandoes stormed a ship bringing aid to the Gaza Strip.
Protesters burn an Israeli flag during a demonstration against Israel’s attack on the Gaza aid convo

Protesters burn an Israeli flag during a demonstration against Israel’s attack on the Gaza aid convoy at Taksim square in Istanbul on May 31, 2010
Photo by: AP

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan said the incident represented a complete violation of international law.

“This action, totally contrary to the principles of international law, is inhumane state terrorism. Nobody should think we will keep quiet in the face of this,” Erdogan told reporters from Chile, where he was cutting short an official visit to Latin America to deal with the crisis.

Turkey and Israel hold diplomatic ties, though they have been strained over the last year.

Egypt, which in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Jerusalem, summoned Israel’s envoy in Cairo in response to the incident.

The Arab League, meanwhile, urged member states to “reconsider” their dealings with Israel. Syria asked for an emergency Arab League meeting to discuss what it described as Israeli aggression on Gaza-bound international aid ships.

“Syria’s representative to the Arab league has submitted a formal memo to the League requesting it to convene,” the official Syrian news agency said.

“Israel’s attack indicates Israel is not ready for peace. Israel attacked the liberty fleet because it feels it is above the law,” Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said in Doha.

“There is no benefit in dealing with Israel in this manner and we must re-assess our dealing with Israel,” he said.

Israeli commandos intercepted the aid flotilla on Monday. Officials said they were met with knives and staves when they boarded the ships, which included a ferry flying the Turkish flag.

Israel’s foreign ministry warned its citizens to avoid travel to Turkey and instructed those already there to keep a low profile and avoid crowded downtown areas.

Turkey denounced Israel’s killing of 10 left-wing activists as “unacceptable” and summoning Israel’s ambassador to discuss the incident – bringing already tense relations between the countries to new heights.

The ministry said that Israel had violated international law and must now carry the consequences.”The interception on the convoy] is unacceptable … Israel will have to endure the consequences of this behavior,” it said in a statement.

Murat Mercan, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, said: “I was expecting an intervention. I was not expecting bloodshed, the use of arms and bullets.”

“Israel is engaged in activity that will extremely hurt its image,” he said. Erdogan, meanwhile, cut short a trip abroad to deal with the incident.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the clashes as a “massacre”.

Iran said the killings were “inhuman” and would help lead to Israel’s demise, and some 200 Iranians staged a demonstration near the United Nations building in Tehran to protest against the storming.

“All these acts indicate the end of the heinous and fake regime and will bring it closer to the end of its existence,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told state broadcaster IRIB. Iran is under international pressure over its nuclear program.

The Israeli navy was today preparing to confront a flotilla of eight ships carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists and 10,000 tons of aid which is attempting to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The flotilla is expected to head towards the Gaza coastline tomorrow. The Israeli military has declared its intention to block the flotilla’s progress as soon as it attempts to cross from international waters into the 20-mile exclusion zone Israel maintains off Gaza’s coast.

The military declined to confirm a report in the Israeli daily Ma’ariv detailing a five-point plan for the confrontation, including warnings, takeover by force, and the detention and deportation of the activists on board.

A temporary detention centre has been established in the Israeli port of Ashdod, 23 miles north of Gaza City, where officials will reportedly offer activists the choice between immediate deportation to their country of origin or being bussed to jails across the country while a legal process to expel them takes its course.

Greta Berlin of the Free Gaza Movement, one of the organisations behind the flotilla, indicated today that most of those on board would refuse to comply with the Israeli authorities.

She said: “We are committed to getting into Gaza. We expect a standoff at sea.”

The activists were braced for a violent confrontation, said Berlin, pointing to a previous incident in December 2008 when a similar attempt to reach Gaza by sea ended in the activists’ boat being rammed by the Israeli navy.

She claimed the navy was attempting to stop the eight boats converging into a flotilla by threatening to attack one of their number, a Turkish passenger ship carrying around 650 people. “They’re going to try to pick us off one by one,” she said. Israel had jammed satellite phones and radars on board the ships, she claimed.

However, an Israeli military spokesman said there had been no contact between the navy and the activists. “We’re waiting to see what happens – it depends on how things proceed,” he said.

The Ma’ariv report said the military feared that there could be “terror activists”, explosives and weapons on board the ships.

Berlin denied this, saying every item on board each ship had been inspected by port authorities and manifests issued. “Yet the Israelis are coming towards us armed to the teeth.”

As well as the prospect of a physical confrontation, a propaganda war between Israel and the activists was well under way today.

Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s foreign minister, said the flotilla was “an attempt at violent propaganda against Israel, and Israel will not allow a violation of its sovereignty at sea, in the air, or on land.”

He added: “There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and despite the Hamas leadership’s war crimes and rocket fire, Israel is conducting itself in the most humanitarian manner, and is allowing the entrance of thousands of tons of food and equipment into Gaza.”

However, the UN and other aid organisations have repeatedly pointed to the devastating impact of the acute shortage of construction materials to rebuild homes and infrastructure following the 2008-9 war, as well as restrictions on foods, medical equipment and school supplies allowed into Gaza.
To read more click: Israeli navy prepares for action as activists’ flotilla nears Gaza