Davutoğlu to Israel: Don't test us

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu reacted harshly to claims that Israel may wish to cooperate with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in response to steps Turkey might take in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Speaking in Istanbul on Sunday during a joint press conference with his Brazilian counterpart Antonia de Aguiar Patriota, Davutoğlu said any country that supports terror will “surely receive a response.”

“No one can debilitate Turkey. No one should put Turkey’s strength to the test,” Davutoğlu said, adding that Israel has to act responsibility against terrorism.

On Friday, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had planned meetings with PKK leaders in Europe to find ways to cooperate with them “in every possible area.” Israeli officials swiftly denied the existence of such a plan.

According to Turkish sources speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, a meeting took place between an aide of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an advisor to Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioğlu, during which the Israeli official refuted allegations about cooperation with the PKK. The incident also showed that despite the tension, diplomatic relations remain open.

Despite the denial, the claims that made it to newspaper headlines on Saturday “caused indignation in Turkey,” Davutoğlu said. “No country can blackmail Turkey.”

“Today is Sept. 11 and on such a day, nobody can differentiate between terrorist organizations,” he said. “We hope Israel will emphasize its denial with actions.”

Regarding the other side of the alleged link, Davutoğlu said the PKK has been going through a period of “tool-ization” – meaning that it has become a tool for those who wish to weaken Turkey.


/Hurriyet Daily News/