Controversial remarks made by a top Israeli general have sparked more friction between Turkey and Israel.
following a verbal clash between Turkish prime minister Erdogan and Israeli president Peres in Davos. Major-general Avi Mizrahi, commander of the IDF headquarters, was quoted as saying that Erdogan, who severely criticized Israel's military campaign in Gaza, "should first look in the mirror," referring to the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 and the Kurdish conflict in Turkey.
The Israeli general's remarks reportedly came during an international conference in Israel and drew strong criticism from Turkey. Anakara summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Foreign Ministry over the weekend and handed a note of protest demanding clarification. "We expect the Israeli General Staff, which we believe places importance on relations with the Turkish Armed Forces, to clarify the issue," read a written statement posted on the Turkish General Staff website, warning such comments could harm national interests in bilateral relations. In Jerusalem, the Israeli army later issued a statement that said the general's remarks were not representative of its views.
Meanwhile, a Turkish parliamentarian from the opposition CHP party, former diplomat Onur Öymen, said that Erdigan had "made a very serious mistake. Turkey is paying the price for the government's pro-Hamas approach. Tomorrow the cost could be more serious. In foreign policy, one needs to think three times and speak once."
