Israel-Turkey Bleak Relations

1. Israel’s attack on the Turkish humanitarian Gaza flotilla affected Turkish public opinion; consequently the Turkish government reacted due to its reliance on that public opinion and this resulted in the expelling of the Israeli ambassador.
2.  It seems that the Turks have decided to follow the Palestine issue as the main issue of foreign policy in the region. As such, the Israelis have lost one of their important partners and friends. In the last decades, Israel has always been capable of breaking the consensus of the Islamic countries due to its allies among countries such as Turkey. Cooperating militarily with the Zionist regime, Turkey put a lot pressure on countries such as Syria and Iraq. Today, the Zionist regime has lost Turkey: it does not mean the passivity of Turkey, but it is turning into a serious critic and probable future enemy of Israel.
3. We are also facing the Arab spring and the changes in the Arab countries. As we have seen, the Egyptian people reacted strongly against Israel’s villainies and the murder of security forces and border guards in the Sinai Desert, and they attacked the Israeli embassy in Cairo, forcing the Zionist regime to leave the country. All these show that the siege situation is worsening day by day, and it is felt by Israel which is locked in other struggles like that of the Iranian nuclear issue.
4. The Zionist regime faces many problems in dealing with Arab countries, as it has lost one of its biggest allies, Egypt. It does not have good relations with other Arab countries, as they have realized that it may cost too much to befriend Israel due to their public’s opinions, regardless of economic and military benefits. On the other hand, they understand that Israel cannot guarantee their survival. Now the question is whether Israel will fundamentally change its political structure and will reconsider its the expansionist strategies.

Turkey has taken first steps in its complicated relations with Israel. Israel will not sit idly by while Turkey defends the rights of Palestine, and it will use any possible tools to harm the political structure of the country, even resorting to the Kurdish issue. In other words, the Turks should expect terrorist groups’ actions in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq and western Turkey: the Kurds’ issue is Turkey’s weak security point. In the previous decades, the Turks did not face this issue in a realistic and meticulous manner, and that increases the possibility of exploitation by enemies. Another tool is the economy, as Israel has a particular dominance over the global economy and can put more pressure on Turkey through enterprises and the Jewish capitalist structure.

With respect to the united Europe issue and Turkey’s membership in NATO, the Zionist Regime can use its power against Turkey. It is unrealistic to think that Turkey can easily resist the Zionist regime, as no country can do so, but they can maintain their independence and integrity. Turkey’s reaction to NATO’s missile radar system was because of the danger felt today by Turkey. Since Turkey decided not to enter several battlefields (diplomatic confrontation) at once, it accepted NATO’s radar positioning in the country to show its commitment to treaties and its acceptance of the current strategic map.

Logically, the country first tries to break the consensus against itself and then separate the case of relations with NATO and Europe from those with the Zionist Regime. It also must not be forgotten that Turkey’s thorough confrontation with the West may harm its tourism, an important source of income, and it cannot sacrifice everything to achieve its ideals. Thus, the expectations from Turkey should be reasonable and the expelling of the Israeli ambassador and the expression of desire to help the Gazan people were brave actions on its part.

In the end, it should again be noted that Turkey has begun a very complicated game, but it should give priority to domestic and international public opinion. The Turks have showed so far that they have tried to attract public attention inside and outside the country while remaining the oriflamme of Islamic countries. This is indeed a valuable position.