Israel reprimands Turkish envoy over TV show
Top Foreign Ministry official says program showing IDF soldiers shooting innocent Palestinian children may lead to violence against Jews, Israelis. 'Troops who are depicted as bloodthirsty killers are the same ones who rushed to the aid of the Turkish people during 1999 earthquake,' Naor Gilon says
Naor Gilon, deputy head of the Europe Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reprimanded the acting Turkish ambassador to Israel over the TV program portraying IDF soldiers shooting at Palestinian children.
"We cannot stand by as blatant incitement against Israel and IDF soldiers is being aired which could lead to physical harm to Jews and Israelis," Gilon told Jailan Ozen during their meeting Thursday.
"The use of stereotypes by a TV show that is viewed by children and adults alike must concern anyone who strives for peace and coexistence among nations and religions in the region and all over the world," Gilon said.
"The soldiers who are depicted as bloodthirsty killers are the same ones who rushed to the aid of the Turkish people in the wake of the devastating earthquake in 1999," he told the Turkish envoy.
The series is broadcast on the state-run TRT1 channel.
The producer of the fictional TV series "Ayrilik", which shows IDF soldiers shooting innocent Palestinian children, said Thursday, "It's important that I stress that we have nothing against Israel.
'State-sponsored incitement'
Speaking to Ynet, Selcuk Cobanoglu explained, "The series has six episodes that follow a love story between a soldier and a Palestinian girl. The show is about Palestine and love."
He added, "The uniforms are not IDF uniforms, they only look similar. The Turkish and American militaries have uniforms like that as well."
On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman summoned the acting Turkish ambassador to Israel to a meeting with high-ranking ministry officials.
Lieberman said, "Broadcasting this series is a serious case of state-sponsored incitement. Such a series, which doesn’t even have a weak connection to reality, and which presents the IDF's soldiers as murderers of innocent children, is unworthy of being broadcast in enemy states, let alone in a country which had full diplomatic relations with Israel."
Previously close ties between the Jewish state and Muslim Turkey have deteriorated somewhat since Israel's offensive in the Palestinian Gaza strip. Turkey has at the same time strengthened its relations with neighboring Syria.
Turkey barred Israel from participating in a NATO war exercise this week and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the move was a result of public concerns over the Gaza war.
The drill was postponed indefinitely after other nations, including the United States and Italy, refused to take part without Israel's air force.
Rachel Cadars and Reuters contributed to this report
