http://www.presstv.ir/detail/199142.html

Looks like the Iranians and the Muslim Brotherhood think the opposite.

I don't know if you've noticed, but his repealing of secularization in turkey has been very slow and measured because he knows otherwise there is a decent secular population who would get upset.

This is what you'd call a cover.

Besides which, Iran and Turkey don't have much to agree with.  They both want to be the big dog in the region.

Well considering that The United States, Poland and Greece all have military alliances with Israel. Not to mention NATO itself according to leaked wires has been considering Israeli membership. The United Kingdom itself has in the past intervened in affairs of Israel, while not having a defense alliance per say I doubt they wouldn't get involved if a conflict were to break out.

As for destabilizing the middle east, yah sending warships to escort vessels in clear violation of a UN recognized blockade would most definitely destabilize the region. The United Nation's declared that Israel has the right to have that blockade while some UN panels suggest it is illegal, the official report and investigation into the breach says otherwise. Source.

Also Turkey just started talking with Egypt about a military treaty, is it a coincidence that this happens just as Israel and Egypt fall out? Rather then Turkey trying to calm down the situation in the Middle East they are provoking it and encouraging confrontation.

Whats next Turkey is going to send troops to Egypt and warships off the coast of Gaza/Israel. If that isn't military provocation I don't know what is.

Yes Turkey is provoking instability in the Middle East, rather then taking Israel to court over a blockade of the Gaza strip they should be encouraging dialogue to end it. Instead of sending warships and signing military pacts with countries who clearly are confrontational with Israel maybe they should try and help the two countries settle their disputes.

Turkey is turning up the heat in the middle east when they should be trying to cool it down. The Middle East doesn't need another war, it doesn't need more parties fighting each other. It needs dialogue and countries willing to try and make peace, I think its foolish to jeopardize stability for the sake of a few criminals.

Also global stability your right Russia won't attack the US or something over a confrontation between Israel and Turkey. But Israel has a lot of allies within Nato as well as other countries like India. Also Nato itself is considering a formal alliance with Israel which would mean Turkey is attacking another Nato member.

Turkey is being very confrontational, if they do pursue military action against Israel there should be repercussions. Nato allies should not attack each others allies.

Hold on this is getting a little confusing. What you're saying is that when a country signs military defense deals with another country and neither country is called Israel then it's called destabilizing? And when a country buys Israeli weapons it's called a military alliance? I don't think you're using the correct terminologies to advance your argument.

Sending warships to escort your own ships in international waters doesn't violate anything. And the UN report is not binding nor a resolution been passsed to call the blockade of Gaza legal so Turkey wouldn't be breaking any international law. 

I don't think you've been following Turkish diplomacy until very recently for if you did then you'd know full well Turkey has for years been trying to bring opposing parties to the table for negotiations. And as it stands Israel is not a NATO member so if in your fantasy world Turkey did attack Israel, NATO are under no obligation to defend Israel. If Israel was to apply for NATO membership it could take a while for it to become a fully fledged member, these things don't happen over night by which time Israel-Turkish relations may have mended by then.

Like I said look at the politics being played out. How many ships from the Freedom Flotilla 2 sailed from Turkish ports? ZERO. Turkey wouldn't allow any. No Turkish ships going to Gaza, no Turkish warships required to escort anything. I ask you to re-consider your hasty remarks such as Turkish troops in Egypt and Turkish warships off the coast of Gaza (there are Israeli patrol boats off the coast of Gaza harrassing Gaza fishermen). Turkey isn't a superpower.

It's very rich of you to preach peace in the ME, the countries that have started wars over the last decade and cause the most amount of death, destruction and destabilization have been either Israel or NATO countries all the while under very dubious pretexts that collapse under not so close scrutiny.

Umm yah in some cases military deals are alliances. Google search all those countries I listed as allies and you will see that all those pacts are called alliances. That isn't me talking its the whole media industry. The US is Israel's greatest military ally and Israel is the second highest recipient of military aid from the US.

Right and wrong. Since Israel has a blockade in place that was recognized by the UN report. Then violating that blockade is still violating a blockade. If Turkey had a blockade that was reported as legit by the UN and Israel sent battleships through that blockade they would definatly have something to say. The violation of a military blockade is an act of war essentially, even by UN standards sending warships through a blockade is an act of war. Now whether that blockade is in international waters or not doesn't matter if the UN said it was legit.

I am also very well aware of Turkey's past peace efforts and the fact that they were once one of Israel's greatest allies. However I also know that the current Government in Turkey is Muslim and very conservative. Turkey used to be ruled by secular parties and democracy ruled the country. Today the Islamist parties are gaining increasing control and many media reports indicate they are moving more to the Islamic side of things then democratic reforms. Of course do to these events I am obviously paying more attention to Turkish politics now then ever, honestly am I expected to follow every countries politics 100% of the time? I do my best to follow as much as possible!

As for the fact that no Turkish vessels sailed, again your correct. However why did Turkey issue such a statement? What was the purpose since no vessels sailed from Turkey? Obviously their was a reason for the threat, I'm also sure Turkey didn't take issuing the threat lightly! Turkey is not a super power, however in the region they are one of the most powerful countries. In fact navally they beat Israel if it wasn't for the Israeli Air Force then Turkey would likely out rank them on the scale of super powers. Also a military alliance with Egypt means just like other alliances Turkey will likely have boots on the ground in some form or another. Turkish advisors to advize the Egyptian military at least. That isn't a hastily made comment its based on the fact that Turkey is signing a military alliance with Egypt and Turkish troops could very easily be stationed in Egypt in a role.

Turkey has an active army of 620,000 soldiers with 429,000 in reserves and Israel has an active army of 176,500 with 565,000 in reserves. By troop numbers Turkey has an edge, they also have a superior navy. So yes Turkey is almost as powerful if not more so then Israel.

You then mention Israel and Nato have caused most of the wars in the middle east. That is extremely biased as the majority of the wars that even Israel got involved in were not started by Israel. Even the Gaza strip invasion and Lebanon, these weren't unprovoked attacks by Israel they were in self defence and retaliation. The only reason Israel caused more death is because they have bigger guns and retaliate ten fold. If Israel were to keep deaths low they would resort to terrorist attacks firing rockets and missiles blindly into Gaza, Lebanon and so fourth. Instead they go in with brute force to try and stop the attacks against their country.

Now as for my nightmare that Turkey will attack Israel. I don't think their idiots so no I don't think they will. However I think making threats like this are very damaging to political relations between Nato countries and the military alliance with Egypt coupled with the pulling of Turkish ambassadors sends a very hostile message to Israel.

Also note the hypothetical scenerio was always hypothetical. I never once said in this thread that Turkey was actually going to attack Israel. I always stated "If" and talked about the threats. So no its not my dreamland I was basing the whole conversation on what has been said!

Honestly NATO is just a formality really. Every country can do what they wan when it comes to War. if the USA wants to defend Israel then they can they don't need to go through NATO. If the UK doesn't want to defend Israel they don't have to just because the United States does.

The more you post....

In other news: Turkey to freeze EU ties if Cyprus gets EU presidency. They're overdoing a bit.

Well that actually makes a bit of sense since Turkey thinks they own half the island. I've gotta say freezing EU ties however would likely do more damage to Turkey then good. But considering the Government is not a secular Government it would probably blame any back fire on the west and Greece and EU.

Honestly I think the Government of Turkey is playing with fire alot lately. They have every right to be outraged by the deaths of Turkish citizens, they have every right to be upset with Cyrpus becoming EU President. But honestly threatening military action and pulling out of a huge global economic machine seems alittle how should I say this "Over Kill".

I think yah Turkey should have pulled the ambassador to Israel and ordered an apology. But to threaten to send warships threw a military blocikade is foolish, whether the threat was empty or not. Pulling out of the EU is just stupid considering no other countries recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus!

Turkey says Israel should respect the Palestinians who had their land stolen. Well Turkey you stole a huge hunk of Cyprus and I don't see you returning that?

This is the real reason of all the upset over there: Cyprus pushes ahead on gas drilling, Cyprus, Turkey spar over gas drilling.I mean Turkey never cared about Palestinians for half a century and now all this fuss, the real reason is that the US geological society discovered large resources of natural gas in the Levant Basin (the sea between Cyprus and the ME) and now Cyprus and Israel decided to cooperate to drill that gas. Turkey that inveded northern Cyprus in the '70s claims some of that sea area as its (well Northern Cypriot, but there's no difference) and it's harassing Israel and Cyprus to have its own share of the pie. End of the story.