The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and even some AK Party deputies have approached a bill on the subject prepared by the AK Party with skepticism, arguing that Turkey would be in danger if foreign companies, particularly Israeli firms, were awarded tenders for demining Turkey's borders. Now public opinion seems to have been divided in two, with some agreeing with the opposition parties and others hailing the move, saying that it will make a big contribution to the Turkish economy. Akşam's Hüsnü Mahalli shares the concerns of the opposition parties in that allowing Israeli companies to clear the mines along the Syrian border may place Turkey in a difficult situation because this issue is closely related to Turkey's national security, its relations with its neighbors and the regional prestige it has gained in recent years. “No matter what kind of precautions Turkey takes, Israelis who are equipped with the latest technological means may share all the information regarding Turkey's security during the time they work in the region and they may engage in dangerous acts. The Israelis, who will possibly come from a military background, will collect information for Mossad and perform special studies not only on Turkey, but also Syria, Iran, Iraq and the Kurds. We should not forget the fact that the Israeli state commissions nearly all of its citizens who go abroad, including Israeli tourists, with special tasks. So the Israelis who will be working along the Turkish-Syrian border will first lead to damage in Turkish-Syrian relations,” Mahalli claims. In his view, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who won the respect and appreciation of the Arab world due to his reaction against Israel's atrocities in Gaza in January, will lose the trust and respect of the Arab world if Israeli companies are granted the right to clear the mines along the Turkish-Syrian border.
Radikal's Hasan Celal Güzel finds the nationalist reactions of the opposition parties and their criticism of the government meaningless, noting that it is hard not to be surprised by their reactions. “This bill about the clearing of mines has been drafted because the Turkish Armed Forces [TSK] gave up on clearing the mines with good reason. There are some technical and financial difficulties with regard to this. While the government was preparing this bill, it took the views of the Defense Ministry and General Staff into consideration. The bill has not been passed by Parliament yet and has not become law and no tender has been held. When this is the case, how can they come to the conclusion that Israeli companies will be allowed to clear the mines?” Güzel asks. According to Güzel, if the Turkish-Syrian border is cleared of mines, not only will the company that wins the tender benefit, but so will the Turkish economy.
