We will not let Israel disrespect Turkey, no matter the price

Adding to tensions with Israel, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Zionist entity on Wednesday of failing to meet its obligations in defense deals, saying that no matter the price “we will not let Israel disrespect Turkey.”

Turkish-Israeli crisis in relations have escalated after Israel refused to apologize for its raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla which martyred nine people last year.

Asked to comment on Turkey's decision to suspend defense industry deals, Prime Minister Erdogan told reporters Israel wasn't keeping to the terms of defense agreements, accusing it of not returning drones that Turkey had bought from Israel and sent back for maintenance.

"They are not loyal to agreements between us in the defense industry," Erdogan said. "There might be problems, you may not be speaking to each other, but you have to fulfill your responsibility under international agreements."

Erdogan said Wednesday Turkey was determined to keep up its stance toward Israel at any cost. "We don't care if it costs $15 million or $150 million," Erdogan said. "We will not allow anyone to walk all over our honor."

Erdogan reiterated that Turkey was planning possible new sanctions against Israel, but refused to disclose what they could entail. He said Turkey intended to increase the Turkish navy's surveillance of the eastern Mediterranean, adding that parts of it were Turkey's "exclusive economic zones." All the pros and cons of this have been calculated. We were present in these waters in the past, we are present today and we will continue to be present tomorrow."

Despite the intense Turkish stance, Israeli officials insist on undermining the tense in relations. “Turkey is not an enemy of Israel and the conflict between the two countries will eventually pass”, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview with Israel Radio on Thursday morning.

Barak reiterated his regret over the death of the activists aboard the Mavi Marmara, but not on the use of force.

In response to the recent "price tag" attack at an army base outside the Beit El settlement Wednesday morning, Barak said that these actions need to be handled with an iron fist.
The defense minister also noted that it is still possible to dissuade the Palestinians from seeking statehood at the UN later this month.