Israel and Turkey Still Chatting, Though Not BFFs

Israeli and Turkish generals have kept their dialogues open even as the diplomats keep up their public fuss.

Israel's military chief said on Tuesday he had been in contact with his Turkish counterpart in an effort to maintain relations in the midst of a diplomatic row over the deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza aid ship.

Turkey responded to Israel's killing of nine Turkish activists on board the ship on May 31 by withdrawing its ambassador, suspending joint defence exercises and closing Turkish airspace to Israeli military planes.

Turkey's foreign minister was quoted on Monday as threatening to cut ties with Israel altogether unless the Jewish state apologises for the actions of its troops, something the Israeli government has firmly ruled out.

Briefing Israeli lawmakers behind closed doors, Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi said he had been "personally in touch" with the Turkish chief of staff since the high seas interception, which Israel defended as part of its blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Ashkenazi said he thought there was a limit to Turkey's change of political direction because as a NATO member it was dependent on Western military hardware, according to a parliamentary official who briefed reporters.

On a military level, Ashkenazi thought Israeli-Turkish ties could be maintained as before. "Relations are important, and we must maintain them during turbulent times," the commander said.

By: Brant