Turkey, Israel agree to stop Twitter war of words

Officials at the Turkish and Israeli foreign ministries have recently agreed to stop the arguments and accusations that the two ministries exchanged via Twitter over the recent event at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth news site reported today that the two ministries’ exchange of accusations intensified to trigger increased tension, which could have resulted in both countries recalling their ambassadors for consultation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticised Israeli policies and practices in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa. The Israeli foreign ministry responded with strongly-worded statements and remarks by its spokespersons.

Yedioth Ahronoth said that Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, the head of the Jewish community in Turkey, was among those who called for Turkish-Israeli reconciliation. He called on Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to intervene, because he “knows how to make peace” and end the escalation.

Read: Israel is trying to take Al-Aqsa from Muslims says Erdogan

Israeli politicians were concerned that Turkey might recall the Turkish ambassador from Tel Aviv to Ankara, as well as expel the Israeli ambassador in Ankara, similar to its actions following the Mavi Marmara incident of 2010, when the Israeli navy attacked a Gaza-bound flotilla who aimed to break the siege, and resulted in the death of a number of Turkish activists on board.

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The Israeli website added that all Twitter posts that included accusations were deleted from the ministers’ accounts.