Jersalem, November 01: Israel’s tourism minister called on his countrymen on Sunday not to holiday in Turkey, after reports that its National Security Council had defined Israeli policies in the Middle East as a threat.
“Our citizens have nothing to do in Turkey,” minister Stas Misezhnikov told reporters outside the weekly cabinet meeting.
“The Turks are causing themselves damage with all sorts of statements… The less we go there perhaps the better they’ll learn.”
Once regional allies, with Turkey a favourite holiday destination for Israelis, relations between the Mediterranean neighbours have been in tatters since a deadly Israeli commando raid on a Turkish vessel seeking to breach Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Nine Turks were killed in the May 31 incident.
The Israeli tourism minister was speaking after local media reported on Sunday that Turkey’s National Security Council had classified Israel as a country whose policies threatened Turkish interests.
The reports cited Turkey’s concerns about Israel’s potential to destabilise the region, notably because of its conflict with the Palestinians, its calls for action against Iran’s nuclear programme and fears of an Israeli attack on Lebanon.
—–Agencies