Ankara, January 13: Turkey threatened on Wednesday to recall its ambassador from Israel if it did not receive a formal apology over the envoy’s treatment, dismissing an attempt to defuse the spat as unsatisfactory.
“Unless they make up for it by this evening, our ambassador will return on the first plane tomorrow to hold consultations,” President Abdullah Gul was quoted as saying by media reports.
Asked whether Turkey would bring its diplomatic representation down to the level of charge d’affaires, Gul said: “We will make an evaluation after consultations with the ambassador.”
A Turkish diplomat said Ankara expected a formal apology over Monday’s incident which saw Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon give the ambassador an angry dressing down in front of cameras.
“We have received nothing so far either through our embassy in Israel or from their embassy here,” the diplomat added on condition of anonymity.
Media reports said Turkey would wait until Thursday before announcing its response.
The latest row has added to tensions between the two regional allies since Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip last year prompted an unprecedented barrage of criticism from the Islamist-rooted government in Ankara.
An infuriated Ankara demanded “an explanation and apology” Tuesday, the day after Ayalon made Ambassador Oguz Celikkol sit on a low couch and removed the Turkish flag from the table in a meeting called to convey Israeli protests over a Turkish television series.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “The foreign ministry’s protest to the Turkish ambassador was just in its essence but should have been conveyed in an acceptable diplomatic manner.”
And Ayalon, who is himself a former ambassador to the United States, said: “In the future, I will clarify my position in diplomatically acceptable ways.”
But an unnamed Turkish foreign ministry official told Anatolia news agency that the Israeli statements were “inadequate.”
Speaking during a visit to Cyprus Wednesday, Israel’s ultranationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said his country had no desire to fall out with Turkey but urged Ankara to show reciprocal “respect.”
“You know regarding Turkey maybe it’s time to clarify our position — we are not interested in confronting or arguing with Turkey,” Lieberman said.
“We have had good relations with Turkey for many years and we respect the Turkish state and people. But that is exactly what we expect in return from them — to treat us with dignity and respect.”
The minister urged “direct dialogue even if we don’t see eye to eye on some issues.”
“I think this is the best way and I hope we can come back to the normal relations between the two countries,” he said.
The series that sparked the row showed a Turkish secret agent storming an Israeli diplomatic mission to rescue a Turkish boy kidnapped by Mossad agents, an episode which Israel slammed for portraying Israel and Jews “as baby-snatchers and war criminals.”
But relations had been already poisoned by Ankara’s severe criticism of Israel’s deadly offensive on Gaza last year and its persistent blockade of the impoverished Palestinian enclave.
In a memorable outburst, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of a debate at the World Economic Forum, accusing Israel of “barbarian” acts and telling its President Shimon Peres, sitting next to him, that “you know well how to kill people”.
The latest row has overshadowed a planned fence-mending visit by Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who insisted Tuesday that he would travel to Turkey on Sunday despite the tensions.
Turkey has been Israel’s main regional ally since the two signed a military cooperation pact in 1996.
—Agencies