The White House today rejected rumors that they had threatened to scrap massive arms supply deals with close ally and fellow NATO member Turkey in retaliation for rising tensions between the nation and Israel.
Turkey and Israel are longtime allies, but tensions have been on the rise between the two for awhile now, and were inflamed particularly by Israel’s May 31 attack on the Mavi Marmara, and the killing of nine aid workers on board the Turkish ship.
US Congressional officials have vowed to make Turkey “pay” for criticizing the killings of their citizens by Israeli commandos, and also because Turkey tried to broker a diplomatic deal aimed at calming US threats to attack Iran.
Though the White House confirmed that they brought up those issues with Turkey, they insisted that there was no such ultimatum made, and considering President Obama’s determination to increase America’s weapons sales abroad, it seems like this is one thing the administration is unlikely to dump, no matter what political gains they might make for doing so.
Jesus, you are effing joking, right? When was the last time Obama, or Bush for that matter, called an ultimatum an ultimatum? Of course they gave Turkey an ultimatum. That was predictable. They'll make up the arms sales, in fact, they just did that with Saudi Arabia. Keep up with the plot.
This is a nice thing to do one by one loose their allies and is in the interest Muslim states to unite. I have no doubt that the report is correct and how political forces in Turkey is to wait.
America will loose one by one their allies is good sign.
Just another suck up to Israel.
I have heard of trying to PAY your way to Heaven.
I have heard of trying to WORKyour way to Heaven.
I have heard of trying to SNEAK into Heaven.
I think America is trying to SUCK it's way in.
These tensions makes me nervous, I am an anti-war person, you know.
Jane
Turkey a rising power, Us a declining power.
This smells for another war, I guess.
Sean