EU denies responsibility for Turkey-Israel tension

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union on Wednesday rejected a US charge that its failure to accept Turkey as a member was partly responsible for the deterioration of relations between Ankara and Israel.

"The EU has very good relations with both Turkey and Israel," and "the bilateral relations between these two countries are not linked with the bilateral relations between the EU and each of these countries," insisted Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for the bloc's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton.

She added that "as far as Turkey is concerned, progress in accession negotiations depends on the progress in reforms taking place" there.

Earlier US Defence Secretary Robert Gates argued that the EU's refusal to accept Turkey as a member swiftly has partly caused Ankara's foreign policy shift and the deterioration in its relations with Israel,

"If there is anything to the notion that Turkey is, if you will, moving eastward, it is my view in no small part because it was pushed and pushed by some in Europe, refusing to give Turkey the kind of organic link to the West that Turkey sought," Gate told reporters in London.

Turkey's EU membership talks began in 2005 but have been moving at glacial pace due to the lack of reforms but also the French and German views that Ankara is not a real European nation and should instead be offered some kind of "privileged partnership".

On top of that Turkey's refusal to deal normally with EU member Cyprus is another problem.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have been seriously downgraded following an Israeli naval raid against an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip on May 31, which left nine Turks dead.