ANKARA (AFP)–Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel are apparently soured over the appointment of a new Israeli ambassador to Ankara–the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported Monday.
Ankara has yet to respond to a two-month-old request by the Israeli foreign ministry that Ehud Toledano become Israel’s new ambassador–Anatolia said.
The news agency speculated that the reason could be statemen’s made 15 years ago by Toledano–a specialist on Ottoman history–that Turkey massacred Armenia’s during World War I.
A Turkish foreign ministry spokesman neither denied nor confirmed the report. Relations between the two states has warmed since 1994 with a proliferation of official visits and the first stages of military cooperation.
Turkey–US and Israel are planning joint military exercises in Turkey–much to the dismay of Turkey’s Arab neighbors–Iraq–Syria–Egypt and Lebanon–all of whom have officially protested the planned so-called war games.