CENTRAL NEWS
Aircraft which have passed through Israeli airspace are traditionally blocked from landing in the country, given the security crisis between the two countries. Turkish cargo aircraft, which failed to comply with this procedure were blocked from landing in Beirut on Friday.
According to the news in Al Masdar, Beirut Airport official Fadi Al-Hassan announced on Friday that the airport management prevented a Turkish cargo plane from landing in Beirut because the cargo plane, which was supposed to fly directly from Jordan’s capital Amman to Beirut, passed over Israel.
Hassan also pointed out that there was a deal with Turkey in this field, while various sources described the act as another show of Ankara’s disrespect to the sovereignty of Arab countries.
Tensions between Arab world and Turkey escalate
Tensions between Turkey and Arab countries continue to escalate since Turkish invasion attempts in Syria, Iraq and Libya, as government officials have implied that the UAE-Israel deal was in fact a precaution to deter Turkish intervention in Arab countries.
At the Arab League Foreign Ministers’ virtual meeting the UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said: “The Turkish interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries is a clear example of negative interference in the region.” Gargash accused Turkey of threatening the security and safety of maritime traffic in Mediterranean waters, in a clear violation of relevant international laws and charters and of the sovereignty of states.
Gargash was followed by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who said that Turkish interventions in many Arab countries represented the most important threat to Arab national security. “Egypt will not stand idly by in the face of Turkish ambitions that are manifesting in northern Iraq, Syria and Libya in particular,” he said.
Ahmed Abu Al Ghait, Secretary-General of the Arab League, said: “The past period witnessed growing bullying and hostility by regional powers towards our Arab region, and the escalation of interference in the affairs of our Arab countries by two neighbouring countries, namely Iran and Turkey.”
As for Turkey, Abu Al Ghait said Ankara continued to occupy large parts of the Syrian territories, and began its attacks on Iraqi lands and recently, it plunged into the Libyan civil war with direct military intervention. Abu Al Ghait said the League is following the situation in Libya with great concern, and hopes that the Libyan parties will reach a permanent agreement and a comprehensive ceasefire.
The Jordan Times
The Jordan Times published an article in July saying: “Turkish troops and Ankara backed militias are active in three Arab countries: Libya, Syria and Iraq. This is a geopolitical reality that the Arab world, as well as the international community, must acknowledge and react to.
“In fact, Turkey’s territorial, political and economic ambitions in these countries and beyond are advertised by top Turkish leaders including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“Turkey now has military bases in Qatar, Libya, Somalia, Northern Cyprus, Syria and Iraq; and not all with the consent of legitimate governments.”
