Kınıklıoglu: "Turkish-Iraeli tensions are affecting our ties with the US"

Tensions in Turkish-Israeli ties are affecting Turkey 's relations with the US , said Suat Kiniklioglu, a member of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and chairman of the Turkish-US Parliamentary Friendship Group, this week. Turkey recently presented an opportunity to mend Turkish-Israeli ties when it rushed to help Israel battle a devastating fire, said Kiniklioglu. "But if Israel fails to make use of this and take steps, I think we could enter a cold peace era, which is a period in which the level of representation is too low, relations are at a minimum, and political dialogue is limited," he added. Kiniklioglu said there are some in the US who tend to support Israel more fervently than Israel itself. He also praised the appointment of a new US ambassador to Turkey , as well as the failure of a resolution on the incidents of 1915 to reach the US House of Representatives floor. "We hope that such tensions and initiatives, which we face every year, will cease from now on," Kiniklioglu said, adding that Turkish-US relations should not fall victim to domestic politics.