Turkish police on Tuesday detained some 15 protestors in Istanbul on the eve of a one-day visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the Anatolia news agency reported.
The protestors were demonstrating against Israel's hardline policies against the Palestinians, the agency said, cited by AFP.
Officers in full riot gear detained 10 women dressed in chadors as the protestors gathered in front of a high school in the Beyoglu district in the European quarter of the city, the report said.
Police detained another five people when a group of demonstrators started shouting slogans such as "Damn Israel," and scuffles broke out as the protestors resisted arrest, Anatolia said.
A heavy police presence was deployed in Beyoglu early Tuesday after a tipoff that an anti-Israel demonstration would be held in the area.
On Sunday, Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Aded Rabbo said that Turkey should put the brakes on its flourishing relations with Israel.
"I do not want to interfere in Turkey's affairs, but improving relations with the incumbent Israeli government will not help us," Abed Rabbo said.
"Still we believe that Turkey will not follow a policy against our interests," he added.
Turkey has been Israel's main regional ally since 1996 when the two states signed a military cooperation accord, much to the anger of most Arab countries and Iran.
But Ankara also maintains full-fledged diplomatic ties with the Palestinians and supports their demand for statehood.
The Turkish government has recently blasted Israel for using excessive force against the Palestinians.
Abed Rabbo urged Ankara to push Sharon "to put an end to the crimes against humanity he is committing against the Palestinian people, to engage in political negotiations and to allow international observers."
Meanwhile, Sharon told CNN-Turk in Jerusalem Sunday that he expressed his country's expectations that Turkey could persuade Arafat to bring about peace.
When asked whether the strategic partnership between Turkey and Israel might cause disturbances in the region, Sharon said that he wished that he would not be asked not to visit Turkey, the Turkish Daily News quoted him as saying.
"I hope that you would not ask me not to come to Turkey, because I am very much excited that I would come to Turkey," Sharon said, according to the paper.
"Look, I think that the relationship between Turkey and Israel might be named as an alliance of democracies. This alliance is very important. But this relationship is not against anyone. Turkey and Israel do not combine their forces for attacking third parties. Neither Israel nor Turkey have such an intention. Just the contrary, the two countries are taking measures against common threats, such as terrorism," Sharon said.
Admitting the fact that the relationship had improved speedily in the last years, Sharon said that looking back on history was necessary, too.
"First of all, I am Jewish. After the Jews had been taken out of Spain in the 15th century, Turks opened their doors to us. And the Ottomans were here for 400 years, which passed in welfare and peace. The Jews did not forget all this," the hardliner said – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
