These are some easy recipes for the iskender kebab recipes, which is named after Alexander the great...
the name alexander is Iskender in turkish and persian.
here is a recipe for beef, followed by a recipe for chicken which is the healthier alternative...
2 pieces of beef tenderloin, each 200 gr
200 gr regular ground beef
4 pieces of Asian Nan Pita bread or plain pita bread (pide)
Salt
Pepper
Garnish:
Yogurt
tomatoe sauce (recipe follows)
2 tbsp butter
Add the salt and pepper to the ground beef. Knead and give it a round shape, then place in the middle of the two pieces of tenderloin.
Cover in plastic wrap and leave in the freezer overnight. The next day remove from the fridge 45 minutes before cutting. Use a knife, electric knife or meat cutter to shred it .Then fry in a large pan (be careful not to over-fry).
Cut the pitas in bite size diagonal shapes and place on the plates .Spread the beef over the pita bread pieces. Pour the tomato sauce on top and place a few spoons of yogurt on the side. Lastly, melt the butter in a small pan. When it starts bubbling, pour over the tomato sauce .
tomatoe sauce.
1 large onion chopped fine or grated
5=6 tomatoes (grated)
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
dash of vinegar
sautee the onions till they are transluscnet, then add the tomatoes and garlic, cook till it is thick, then add just a dash of vinegar, salt n pepper to taste.
Serve Iskender Kebab while still hot. This recipe makes 4 servings.
and here is the chicken recipe
• 4 pita bread rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped
• 2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups of the tomatoe sauce from above recipe
• ground cumin to taste
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange pita bread on a baking sheet, and lightly toast in the oven. Cut pita bread into bite-size pieces, and keep warm.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, onion, and garlic, and cook until chicken juices run clear.. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
3. Arrange pita pieces in a serving dish. Drizzle with butter, add the chicken, then add the tomatoe sauce. Garnish with yogurt and parsley to serve.
accompanying dishes:
Tomatoe dip (ezme)
5 tomatoes, discard the seeds, very finely chopped
1 red or white onion, very finely chopped
1 cup parsley, very finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp pomegranate paste or Granadine syrup
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cayenne pepper, crushed
1 tsp sumac
Salt
Crush the onion with sumac and salt with your hands. Mix all the ingredients in a service bowl. Put aside for at least an hour (tastes better this way), then serve with any kind of Kebab.
Ok, the way I do it is just throw everything into the cuisineart and chop it all up, then add the oil and lemon juice, let it sit for an hour or so for all the flavors to meld…….
Sumac comes from the berries of a wild bush which grows in the Mediterranean. The berries are dried and crushed to form purple-red powder. The flavour is sour and fruity. It's mostly used with Kebabs, preferred to lemon for sourness
Eggplant salad
1 eggplant
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium-sized tomato, seeds discarded and diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or 1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
Salt
Pepper
Before putting in the oven, make holes on the eggplant with a fork so that it will soften and cook better. Then place on an oven tray and roast for about 35 minutes on broil. Alternatively, you can barbecue it until softened. Then peel it, remove any seeds and place in 2 cups of water with 1/2 lemon juice. Leave in for about 10-15 minutes. After draining, cut into small pieces with a knife. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spoon. Place in service plate and keep refrigerated. (or just zap it in the cuisineart til it’s a pulp)
If you don't want to bother with roasting the eggplant, you can skip the step above and instead just use approximately 350 gr of Roasted Eggplants in a jar. Just mix all the ingredients together and you're good to go.
This recipe goes well with any kind of meat, Kofte or Kebap on the side.
And here is a pilaf recipe that we eat all the time…..
1 cup rice
2 cups hot water (or stock – I use knorr bouillion cubes)
3 tbsp orzo (check the pasta aisle)
1 tbsp butter
Salt
Place the orzo in a medium sized pot. Stir continously on medium-low heat, without water, until the colour turns light brown. Then add the butter, salt, hot water and rice. Stir and put the lid half on. Cook on low heat until the rice is done (when all the liquid has evaporated). Make sure to stir a few times when you start seeing holes in between the rice towards the end.
9.26.2010
9.19.2010
Cauliflower Moussaka Recipe
Ingredients
1 small head of Cauliflower (stems leaves peeled off, florets separated)
4 glasses water with salt
150 g medium ground beef
1 medium sized carrot (cut in cubes)
1 onion (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (sliced)
1/2 cubanelle pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
1/2 red pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
3 fresh green onions (cut in medium sized chunks)
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 glass warm water mixed with 3 tablespoons crushed tomato in can
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
First boil the florets for almost two minutes in the water with salt in a medium sized pot. Drain and place them in a shallow cooking pan. In the meantime, cook the ground beef with salt and pepper over medium heat in a separate pan. Stir constantly. Add 1/2 glass of the warm water mixed with crushed tomato, carrots, onion and garlic, and cook for almost five more minutes. Pour this all over the cauliflowers with the rest of the warm water. Arrange cubanelle peppers, red peppers and fresh green onions on top. Pour olive oil all over. Cover the lid halfway and cook for almost twenty minutes over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle crushed pepper at the end. Serve hot.
1 small head of Cauliflower (stems leaves peeled off, florets separated)
4 glasses water with salt
150 g medium ground beef
1 medium sized carrot (cut in cubes)
1 onion (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (sliced)
1/2 cubanelle pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
1/2 red pepper (cut in medium sized chunks)
3 fresh green onions (cut in medium sized chunks)
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 glass warm water mixed with 3 tablespoons crushed tomato in can
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
First boil the florets for almost two minutes in the water with salt in a medium sized pot. Drain and place them in a shallow cooking pan. In the meantime, cook the ground beef with salt and pepper over medium heat in a separate pan. Stir constantly. Add 1/2 glass of the warm water mixed with crushed tomato, carrots, onion and garlic, and cook for almost five more minutes. Pour this all over the cauliflowers with the rest of the warm water. Arrange cubanelle peppers, red peppers and fresh green onions on top. Pour olive oil all over. Cover the lid halfway and cook for almost twenty minutes over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle crushed pepper at the end. Serve hot.
Macaroni With Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients
1 glass meat broth
1 onion
1/2 glass tomato sauce
2 glasses grated cheese (gruyere)
2 glasses water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
300 g beef
500 g macaroni
500 g mushrooms
6 tablespoons butter
pepper
salt
Cooking Instructions
Pour one glass of meat broth into a saucepan. Add a tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice and the cleaned mushrooms. Boil for ten minutes, later drain, but save the cooking water. Melt a tablespoon of butter in another saucepan. Cut the meat into small pieces and add it to the butter. Add the onion, a little pepper and cook five minutes on a high heat. Add the tomato sauce, two glasses of water, and the liquid in which the mushrooms were cooked. Cover and cook until the meat is very tender. Add the mushrooms, cook a few moments, later put aside.
Boil the noodles in salted water. Drain them well, place in a serving dish, pour four tablespoons of melted butter over them, later the prepared sauce. Blend and serve.
1 glass meat broth
1 onion
1/2 glass tomato sauce
2 glasses grated cheese (gruyere)
2 glasses water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
300 g beef
500 g macaroni
500 g mushrooms
6 tablespoons butter
pepper
salt
Cooking Instructions
Pour one glass of meat broth into a saucepan. Add a tablespoon of butter, the lemon juice and the cleaned mushrooms. Boil for ten minutes, later drain, but save the cooking water. Melt a tablespoon of butter in another saucepan. Cut the meat into small pieces and add it to the butter. Add the onion, a little pepper and cook five minutes on a high heat. Add the tomato sauce, two glasses of water, and the liquid in which the mushrooms were cooked. Cover and cook until the meat is very tender. Add the mushrooms, cook a few moments, later put aside.
Boil the noodles in salted water. Drain them well, place in a serving dish, pour four tablespoons of melted butter over them, later the prepared sauce. Blend and serve.
Fish Soup Recipe
Ingredients
250 g small size fish (frozen, cleaned)
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
pepper
salt
3 glasses hot water
3 tomatoes (peeled and diced)
1 celery stick (cut in bite sizes)
2 medium onions (chopped)
1 medium potato (cut in bite sizes)
For garnish:
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (chopped)
5 slices of French baton bread
Cooking Instructions
First cut off the heads of the fish and bone. Place them on a plate and sprinkle lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper on top. Put aside. In a medium sized pot, cook the onion, potato, celery and tomato with water on medium-low heat for almost fifteen minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the fish and cook for another fifteen minutes. Turn the heat off when the fish are cooked and sprinkle parsley and oregano on top. Place a slice of bread on each plate. Pour one ladle of soup over each. Serve while still hot. Enjoy.
250 g small size fish (frozen, cleaned)
1/2 lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
pepper
salt
3 glasses hot water
3 tomatoes (peeled and diced)
1 celery stick (cut in bite sizes)
2 medium onions (chopped)
1 medium potato (cut in bite sizes)
For garnish:
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano (chopped)
5 slices of French baton bread
Cooking Instructions
First cut off the heads of the fish and bone. Place them on a plate and sprinkle lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper on top. Put aside. In a medium sized pot, cook the onion, potato, celery and tomato with water on medium-low heat for almost fifteen minutes until the vegetables soften. Add the fish and cook for another fifteen minutes. Turn the heat off when the fish are cooked and sprinkle parsley and oregano on top. Place a slice of bread on each plate. Pour one ladle of soup over each. Serve while still hot. Enjoy.
iskender kebab recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs lamb (cubes)
4 onions (large)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 round pita breads
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 large tomatoes
2 glasses plain yoghurt
4 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 chili peppers (large)
olive oil
Cooking Instructions
First make marinade the meat. Place onions in a food processor and process till liquid, discard any remaining onion pulp. Blend pepper, salt, olive oil, and onion juice in a bowl. Add cubed lamb pieces and marinade one day. Place marinaded lamb pieces onto a skewer and cook on grill, basting with more marinade fifteen minutes. While the meat is cooking you could prepare the Iskender plate. Warm pita on the grill on both sides and keep warm. When everything is ready later slice the pita into squares, divide into four portions and place as a layer on each plate. Crush garlic with the salt and add into yoghurt, blend well, add again salt to taste. Spoon onto the pita squares just before adding hot lamb kebabs. Cut tomatoes in half and grill slowly until hot, don't overcook, as they would become too soft and soggy. Repeat with the chilli peppers. Blend tomato puree with olive oil and pepper and heat in a small saucepan, add salt to taste, and drizzle over kebabs as it is the meat sauce. Garnish with the grilled tomatoes and chili peppers, and sprigs of fresh dark green parsley. serve with ayran optional cola.
2 lbs lamb (cubes)
4 onions (large)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 round pita breads
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 large tomatoes
2 glasses plain yoghurt
4 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons butter
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 chili peppers (large)
olive oil
Cooking Instructions
First make marinade the meat. Place onions in a food processor and process till liquid, discard any remaining onion pulp. Blend pepper, salt, olive oil, and onion juice in a bowl. Add cubed lamb pieces and marinade one day. Place marinaded lamb pieces onto a skewer and cook on grill, basting with more marinade fifteen minutes. While the meat is cooking you could prepare the Iskender plate. Warm pita on the grill on both sides and keep warm. When everything is ready later slice the pita into squares, divide into four portions and place as a layer on each plate. Crush garlic with the salt and add into yoghurt, blend well, add again salt to taste. Spoon onto the pita squares just before adding hot lamb kebabs. Cut tomatoes in half and grill slowly until hot, don't overcook, as they would become too soft and soggy. Repeat with the chilli peppers. Blend tomato puree with olive oil and pepper and heat in a small saucepan, add salt to taste, and drizzle over kebabs as it is the meat sauce. Garnish with the grilled tomatoes and chili peppers, and sprigs of fresh dark green parsley. serve with ayran optional cola.
Sea Bass In Aluminium Foil
Ingredients4 sea bass fillets (approx. 200 grams each)
200 grams of finely chopped onions
1 kilo of tomatoes (peeled and pitted)
Cinnamon stick (approx. 1.25 cm long)
100 grams of butter
3 cloves1 bay leaf
Salt
DirectionsPreheat the oven to 200º C. Fry the onions in the butter for three minutes and add the tomatoes, salt and spices as well as the bay leaf. Put the lid on the pan and bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat after boiling and leave to simmer for another ten minutes. Puree the sauce through a sieve. Prepare 4 sheets of aluminium foil and put a sea bass fillet on each sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Pour a little of the sauce over the fillets, fold every sheet of aluminium into a small parcel and place the parcels on an oven tray. Put the oven tray in the preheated oven (200º C) and bake the fillets for approximately 10 minutes. Serve the dish as soon as it leaves the oven and open the sea bass parcels once they are served.
200 grams of finely chopped onions
1 kilo of tomatoes (peeled and pitted)
Cinnamon stick (approx. 1.25 cm long)
100 grams of butter
3 cloves1 bay leaf
Salt
DirectionsPreheat the oven to 200º C. Fry the onions in the butter for three minutes and add the tomatoes, salt and spices as well as the bay leaf. Put the lid on the pan and bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat after boiling and leave to simmer for another ten minutes. Puree the sauce through a sieve. Prepare 4 sheets of aluminium foil and put a sea bass fillet on each sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Pour a little of the sauce over the fillets, fold every sheet of aluminium into a small parcel and place the parcels on an oven tray. Put the oven tray in the preheated oven (200º C) and bake the fillets for approximately 10 minutes. Serve the dish as soon as it leaves the oven and open the sea bass parcels once they are served.
Artichoke with Beans
Ingredients 4 Globe Artichokes2 large Onions, finely chopped225g/8oz shelled young Broad Beans240ml/8fl.oz. Water1 teasp Salt120ml/4fl.oz. Olive Oil3 tbsp freshly chopped DillLiquid Mix: 720ml/24fl.oz. Cold Water, 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, 2 teasp SaltDirections 1. Place all the ingredients for the Liquid Mix in a large bowl, mix well and set aside.2. Remove the stalks from the base of the artichokes, trim the outer leaves with a sharp knife just leaving 2 layers and rub the cut surfaces with lemon and salt.3. Remove the hairs from the inside of the artichokes with a spoon and submerge in the liquid mix. Set aside. 3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion and sauté over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.4. Drain the artichokes well then add to the onion mixture together with the broad beans and water, season with salt, cover and cook for 20 minutes.5. Sprinkle the dill over the artichokes, re cover and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes or until the artichokes are tender.6. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool in the pan.7. To serve - place the artichokes on a serving platter and fill the centres with the beans . Serve cold.
Turkish Sausage And Fried Eggs
Ingredients500 grams Turkish sausage
6 eggs100
grams of margarine
Salt and pepper
Directions: Cut the sausage into tiny slices. Melt the margarine in a frying pan, add the sliced sausage and fry. Add the eggs as well as salt and pepper to taste. Close the lid on the pan and leave everything to simmer for five minutes on medium heat until the eggs are done.
6 eggs100
grams of margarine
Salt and pepper
Directions: Cut the sausage into tiny slices. Melt the margarine in a frying pan, add the sliced sausage and fry. Add the eggs as well as salt and pepper to taste. Close the lid on the pan and leave everything to simmer for five minutes on medium heat until the eggs are done.
5.31.2010
Israel Intercepts Gaza Flotilla; Violence Reported
JERUSALEM — The Israeli Navy made its first contact with a flotilla carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists and thousands of tons of supplies for Gaza shortly before midnight on Sunday, surprising the boats in international waters, according to activists on one vessel.
Israel has vowed not to let the flotilla reach the shores of Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas holds sway, putting the activists and the Israelis on a public relations collision course.
Named the Freedom Flotilla, and led by the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, the convoy of six cargo and passenger boats is the most ambitious attempt yet to break Israel’s three-year blockade of Gaza.
Two television stations reported early Monday that Israeli warships had attacked the ships, killing at least two and wounding an unknown number of people on board, according to The Associated Press. The Israeli military refused to comment on the reports.
Three Israeli Navy missile boats left the Haifa naval base in northern Israel a few minutes after 9 p.m. Sunday, planning to intercept the flotilla.
Speaking by satellite phone early Sunday from the Challenger 1 boat, which has foreign legislators and other high-profile figures on board, a Free Gaza Movement leader, Huwaida Arraf, said: “We communicated to them clearly that we are unarmed civilians. We asked them not to use violence.”
Earlier Sunday, Ms. Arraf said the boats would keep trying to move forward “until they either disable our boats or jump on board.”
Organizers of the flotilla had said they expected to confront the Israelis on Monday morning, in an effort to avoid an encounter in the dark.
Israel has vowed not to let the flotilla reach the shores of Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas holds sway, putting the activists and the Israelis on a public relations collision course.
Named the Freedom Flotilla, and led by the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, the convoy of six cargo and passenger boats is the most ambitious attempt yet to break Israel’s three-year blockade of Gaza.
Two television stations reported early Monday that Israeli warships had attacked the ships, killing at least two and wounding an unknown number of people on board, according to The Associated Press. The Israeli military refused to comment on the reports.
Three Israeli Navy missile boats left the Haifa naval base in northern Israel a few minutes after 9 p.m. Sunday, planning to intercept the flotilla.
Speaking by satellite phone early Sunday from the Challenger 1 boat, which has foreign legislators and other high-profile figures on board, a Free Gaza Movement leader, Huwaida Arraf, said: “We communicated to them clearly that we are unarmed civilians. We asked them not to use violence.”
Earlier Sunday, Ms. Arraf said the boats would keep trying to move forward “until they either disable our boats or jump on board.”
Organizers of the flotilla had said they expected to confront the Israelis on Monday morning, in an effort to avoid an encounter in the dark.
Raid Jeopardizes Turkey Relations
ISTANBUL — The Israeli commando raid Monday on an aid flotilla, which left at least nine people dead, has dragged relations between Israel and Turkey to a new low, political experts here say, threatening to derail diplomatic relations between two close American allies.
Turkey, a NATO member, has long been Israel’s closest friend in the Muslim world, with $3 billion in trade and strong ties between the countries’ militaries and governments. But relations began to deteriorate during Israel’s war in Gaza, when Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, publicly sparred with Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Monday’s raid prompted street protests in Turkey and a strong official reaction, with Ankara recalling its ambassador from Israel, summoning Israel’s ambassador and canceling planned joint military exercises. That was enough to raise alarms among analysts here, who said it could seriously jeopardize already battered diplomatic relations between the countries.
“This will be perceived as a kind of declaration of war on Turkey,” said Cengiz Candar, a columnist for Radikal, a Turkish daily. “Political dialogue will cease. It’s not possible to contain the deterioration in relations anymore.”
But it was not yet clear how broad the implications would be. As of Monday evening, Israel’s Ambassador to Turkey had not been asked to leave the country, and Turkey’s foreign minister spoke by phone to Israel’s defense minister — evidence that, at least at some level, diplomatic channels remained open. The leaders of the two countries’ militaries also spoke by telephone, the Turkish military said.
A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said it was possible that Turkey would cut off diplomatic relations, but that it would depend on Israel’s next steps. Turkey expects the immediate release of the activists, the official said, as well as a strong apology from the Israeli government. Neither have been forthcoming, and there were reports late Monday that Israel had arrested some people from the ship.
A senior Israeli official said that it had tried for two weeks to persuade Turkey to stop the flotilla, but that Turkey said it was a non-governmental action that it was powerless to stop. Israel’s ambassador in Turkey, Gabi Levy, did not return a call for comment.
One wild card is Mr. Erdogan, a strong-willed former Islamist who is the driving force behind Turkey’s criticism of Israel and its policy toward the Palestinians. He has pushed a new foreign policy that has taken a more active role in the region, serving as mediator between Israel and Syria. But not all his efforts have been appreciated by the United States, like his recent attempt with Brazil to broker a nuclear deal with Iran.
In a press conference in Santiago, Chile, where he cut short a trip to return to Turkey, he called the raid “inhumane state terrorism,” and said that Israel’s contentions that there had been weapons on the ship were “lies.”
“This attack has clearly shown that Israeli government has no desire for peace in the region,” he said in remarks that were broadcast on Turkish television. But he also called for calm, saying that Jews in Turkey “are our citizens,” and adding that “I want my people to be very sensitive about this.”
The situation is difficult for the United States, which has close relations with both countries and is now in the awkward position of crafting a reaction that avoids alienating either side. Both the United States and Israel use Turkish air space for military exercises. The United States supplies the majority of its Iraq effort from a military base in southern Turkey.
Asli Aydintasbas, a columnist at the Turkish Daily Milliyet, argues that the episode was a dramatic failure in diplomacy, for both the United States and Turkey. The new foreign policy pursued by Turkey’s government has given it a confidence that sometimes results in overreaching. For example, Turkey believed it could change Israeli policies towards Gaza.
“This was a disaster waiting to happen,” said Ms. Aydintasbas. “Both Turkish and American officials could have stopped the boats from moving forward. It’s clear they didn’t try hard enough.”
Mr. Erdogan is seen favorably by many in Turkey’s small Jewish community. He encouraged the relationship with Israel, visiting in 2005 with a group of Turkish businessmen and becoming the first Turkish prime minister to visit the office of Turkey’s chief rabbi after a synagogue was bombed in 2003.
But when it comes to Hamas, which controls Gaza, they disagree. Israel views it as a terrorist group and focuses on its doctrinal commitment to destroy the Zionist state. Mr. Erdogan sees other aspects: Hamas began as a grass-roots Islamic movement, and like his own Justice and Development party, also Islamic-inspired, was democratically elected against overwhelming odds.
One Turkish tactic will be to try to garner international condemnation in order to change Israel policies toward Gaza, namely its blockade, Turkish analysts said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, flew to New York to spearhead Turkey’s efforts to call for a vote on the matter in the United Nations. Turkey became a member of the Security Council last year.
Mr. Candar views the future of relations grimly. The raid provoked outrage among the Turkish public, who thronged Istanbul’s Taksim square and the Israeli consulate, sentiment that Mr. Erdogan could capitalize on in national elections next year. The current governments in Israel and Turkey seem stuck in a cycle of hostility, and Mr. Candar does not see that changing.
“As long as this government is in power and the one in Israel is in power, it will be a hostile relationship, not even a neutral one,” Mr. Candar said.
Turkey, a NATO member, has long been Israel’s closest friend in the Muslim world, with $3 billion in trade and strong ties between the countries’ militaries and governments. But relations began to deteriorate during Israel’s war in Gaza, when Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, publicly sparred with Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Monday’s raid prompted street protests in Turkey and a strong official reaction, with Ankara recalling its ambassador from Israel, summoning Israel’s ambassador and canceling planned joint military exercises. That was enough to raise alarms among analysts here, who said it could seriously jeopardize already battered diplomatic relations between the countries.
“This will be perceived as a kind of declaration of war on Turkey,” said Cengiz Candar, a columnist for Radikal, a Turkish daily. “Political dialogue will cease. It’s not possible to contain the deterioration in relations anymore.”
But it was not yet clear how broad the implications would be. As of Monday evening, Israel’s Ambassador to Turkey had not been asked to leave the country, and Turkey’s foreign minister spoke by phone to Israel’s defense minister — evidence that, at least at some level, diplomatic channels remained open. The leaders of the two countries’ militaries also spoke by telephone, the Turkish military said.
A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said it was possible that Turkey would cut off diplomatic relations, but that it would depend on Israel’s next steps. Turkey expects the immediate release of the activists, the official said, as well as a strong apology from the Israeli government. Neither have been forthcoming, and there were reports late Monday that Israel had arrested some people from the ship.
A senior Israeli official said that it had tried for two weeks to persuade Turkey to stop the flotilla, but that Turkey said it was a non-governmental action that it was powerless to stop. Israel’s ambassador in Turkey, Gabi Levy, did not return a call for comment.
One wild card is Mr. Erdogan, a strong-willed former Islamist who is the driving force behind Turkey’s criticism of Israel and its policy toward the Palestinians. He has pushed a new foreign policy that has taken a more active role in the region, serving as mediator between Israel and Syria. But not all his efforts have been appreciated by the United States, like his recent attempt with Brazil to broker a nuclear deal with Iran.
In a press conference in Santiago, Chile, where he cut short a trip to return to Turkey, he called the raid “inhumane state terrorism,” and said that Israel’s contentions that there had been weapons on the ship were “lies.”
“This attack has clearly shown that Israeli government has no desire for peace in the region,” he said in remarks that were broadcast on Turkish television. But he also called for calm, saying that Jews in Turkey “are our citizens,” and adding that “I want my people to be very sensitive about this.”
The situation is difficult for the United States, which has close relations with both countries and is now in the awkward position of crafting a reaction that avoids alienating either side. Both the United States and Israel use Turkish air space for military exercises. The United States supplies the majority of its Iraq effort from a military base in southern Turkey.
Asli Aydintasbas, a columnist at the Turkish Daily Milliyet, argues that the episode was a dramatic failure in diplomacy, for both the United States and Turkey. The new foreign policy pursued by Turkey’s government has given it a confidence that sometimes results in overreaching. For example, Turkey believed it could change Israeli policies towards Gaza.
“This was a disaster waiting to happen,” said Ms. Aydintasbas. “Both Turkish and American officials could have stopped the boats from moving forward. It’s clear they didn’t try hard enough.”
Mr. Erdogan is seen favorably by many in Turkey’s small Jewish community. He encouraged the relationship with Israel, visiting in 2005 with a group of Turkish businessmen and becoming the first Turkish prime minister to visit the office of Turkey’s chief rabbi after a synagogue was bombed in 2003.
But when it comes to Hamas, which controls Gaza, they disagree. Israel views it as a terrorist group and focuses on its doctrinal commitment to destroy the Zionist state. Mr. Erdogan sees other aspects: Hamas began as a grass-roots Islamic movement, and like his own Justice and Development party, also Islamic-inspired, was democratically elected against overwhelming odds.
One Turkish tactic will be to try to garner international condemnation in order to change Israel policies toward Gaza, namely its blockade, Turkish analysts said. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, flew to New York to spearhead Turkey’s efforts to call for a vote on the matter in the United Nations. Turkey became a member of the Security Council last year.
Mr. Candar views the future of relations grimly. The raid provoked outrage among the Turkish public, who thronged Istanbul’s Taksim square and the Israeli consulate, sentiment that Mr. Erdogan could capitalize on in national elections next year. The current governments in Israel and Turkey seem stuck in a cycle of hostility, and Mr. Candar does not see that changing.
“As long as this government is in power and the one in Israel is in power, it will be a hostile relationship, not even a neutral one,” Mr. Candar said.
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