The quote:Turkey froze political and military relations with France in retaliation for the approval by the French parliament’s lower chamber of a measure that makes it a crime to deny genocide against Armenians a century ago.
The government recalled its ambassador to Paris for consultations, canceled a joint meeting of economy and trade ministers in January and halted all programs for training and cultural affairs, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday in televised remarks in Ankara following the vote.
“People will not forgive those who distort history, or use history as a tool for political exploitation,” [said Erdogan.]Yes, those 1.5 million Armenians just caught the flu.
And the IHH members aboard the Mavi Marmara were wielding "peace batons" and stabbing Israeli soldiers with flowers.
Last week, Turkey's foreign minister said that Turkey's policies have isolated Israel and helped bring it to its knees. But yesterday, Israel canceled a $141 million military contract with Turkey - not exactly the actions of a nation on the ropes.
Next week the Knesset may pass a bill saying the Jewish people will never forget the Armenian genocide and asks that the Knesset mark the event with a special memorial session held every year, in a move sure to anger Ankara further.
But meanwhile Turkey is at loggerheads with its former allies in Iran and Syria, the EU has been cool to its moves and this latest French law has it in a tizzy.
Which means that Turkey's actions have isolated Turkey a lot more than it has isolated Israel.