Israel-Turkey ties had already been strained. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has attempted to garner the support of the Muslim world, condemning Israel for even the most minor of missteps. Tensions began to rise following Operation Cast Lead, where Israel killed some civilians in its attack on the Hamas terror infrastructure. Then, an Israeli ambassador committed a foriegn policy taboo with his Turkish counterpart, drawing criticism of Israel. And now, Turkey has taken ownership of the latest group of “aid” ships sent to Gaza and is condemning Israel for its raid on the vessels.
Erdogan pulled the Turkish ambassador and has threatened to disconnect military and economic ties with Israel, a particularly drastic move due to the massive amount of imports to Israel and tourism dollars spent in Turkey each year (see the referenced article in English here). Further, Turkey is considering charging Israel with the flotilla deaths and spearheaded United Nations condemnation of the attacks.
However, Erdogan has been the main impetus for the change in relations between the two cultures. And some in Turkey believe that ties with the West are more important than strengthening the country’s posture in the Muslim world by leading criticisms against Israel. Turkey has even threatened a military escort of future aid ships to prevent an Israeli raid.
Erdogan may be on his way out. In recent polls, the secular party is gaining ground. With Erdogan’s ouster, Turkish politics could realign to focus on military and economic prosperity to guarantee a seat in the European Union. Criticism of Israel could take a back seat, with tension between the two countries easing in the future.
While only time will tell and Erdogan could still win reelection, the Israel-Turkey alliance should not be dismissed and buried just yet.
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