Observers probe where to next in Turkey-Israel relations

During a roundtable discussion of the Turkish Policy Quarterly on Thursday, one academic from Israel said the anger and disappointment in Israel is “too deep.” The meeting’s participants agreed to abide by the Chatham House Rule, which stipulates the confidentiality of the source of information obtained at the meeting. The Israeli participants also complained about criticism of Jewish people in general, not Israel’s policies, by Turkish politicians and media.

A Turkish participant said it is not anti-Semitism but anti-Israeli sentiments which are increasing in Turkey and that these are “sound criticisms.” Another Turkish participant said Turkey has an environment “which allows Israel bashing” and that the lines have been blurred regarding what is anti-Semitism and what is not.

Having developed significantly during the second half of the 1990s, Turkish-Israeli relations began to weaken at the beginning of the 2000s. The relations have been badly strained since Turkey excluded Israel from the Anatolian Eagle NATO exercises. The last-minute snub was in reaction to Israel’s Gaza assault in late 2008 and early 2009 when about 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including many civilians.

In addition, the latest crisis between Turkey and Israel was also fueled by a televised insult to Turkey’s ambassador in Tel Aviv over a Turkish television show that depicted Israeli intelligence agents as baby killers. Following Ankara’s threats to recall its ambassador, a formal apology came from Israel.

Even though Turkish-Israeli bilateral relations have seen the exchange of harsh remarks between Israeli and Turkish officials since Israel’s Gaza offensive, the participants in the discussion agreed that the change in the tone of the relations had started earlier due to changes in the world, Turkey and Israel.

While Turkey has become more nationalist, independent of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) worldview, it has become more conservative and at the same time more self-confident, one Turkish observer pointed out. An Israeli participant said the Israeli elite have become more nationalistic and religious as well.

Israeli participants said Israel still might be willing to accept Turkey’s role as a “facilitator” in talks between Syria and Israel but that this would not guarantee that there will not be new lows in Turkish-Israeli relations.

‘Azerbaijani dialogue with Jewish lobby helped Turkey’

Asim Mollazade, a member of the Azerbaijani parliament from the opposition Democratic Reforms Party, said Azerbaijan recently helped Turkey’s cause in Washington to fend off the Armenian genocide resolution in the US Congress by developing close relations with some Jewish organizations which used to help Ankara in that regard.

“Twenty-two members of Congress voted against the document. Azerbaijani, Turkish and Jewish organizations worked together [to achieve this],” he said speaking to Today’s Zaman. “Together, we can build a strong partnership with the United States, which will defend our interests and resist Armenian attempts to pass a genocide document.”

The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs voted 23-22 last week to approve the non-binding resolution, clearing it for consideration by the full House.