TURKEY-ISRAEL RELATIONS STRAIN

Relations between Israel and Turkey further down over a television drama showing Israeli soldiers shooting Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip in cold blood. One scene of the series, “Separation: Palestine In Love and In War”, shows an Israeli soldier shoots a smiling girl in the street. Another scene shows a Palestinian father holding a baby above his head and an Israeli soldier deliberately shooting the infant. The drama also features an elderly Palestinian killed at an Israeli checkpoint while on his way to hajj in Makkah. The Israeli foreign ministry summoned Turkey’s envoy to protest against the TV series, saying it “incites hatred against Israel”. Turkish producer Selcuk Cobanoglu defended the drama. “If the Israeli government is disturbed with this, it means they are disturbed with the reality when we go there and eyewitness what is happening there,” he commented. The Turkish government also defended the television series, denying any political goals behind the show. “There is no political aim,” Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said. “None of our series have political aims,” he added, denying any plans to stop the show.