Avigdor Liberman
Avigdor LibermanFlash 90

Chairman of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Avigdor Lieberman (Likud / Yisrael Beytenu), wrote Saturday evening in a Facebook post that he is not surprised by Turkey's accusations that Israel leaked a Washington Post story according to which Turkey handed over to Tehran a list of Israeli agents in Iran.

He reminded his followers that he had been opposed to issuing an apology to Turkey over the Mavi Marmara incident.

"My opposition to an apology to Turkey is not new and I expressed it clearly, before and after the fact,” he added. “I thought and explained that it will not lead to an improvement in relations between the countries, but only hurt Israel's status in the area, and play into the hands of the extremist elements in the Middle East, including Turkey, under extremist Islamist [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan.

“That is why I am not surprised by Turkey's accusations that Israel is the one behind the publication in the Washington Post regarding 'handing over spies to Iran,' and I do not even know if such a spy ring existed,” he wrote.

Lieberman noted that Erdogan recently made other unfounded accusations against Israel, when he claimed he had proof that Israel was behind the toppling of Mohammed Morsi in Egypt and that it instigated demonstrations in Turkey's Taksim Square.

Turkey under Erdogan is not interested in improving relations with Israel, stated Lieberman. “That is why I hope we all stop deluding ourselves and understand the reality we live in and the difference between what is desired and what actually exists.”