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TURKEY AND ISRAEL: WHAT'S GOING ON?
By Micah Halpern

Tuesday May 3, 2005

Column:

The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, just wound up a visit to Israel. Erdogan is a Muslim, he represents an Islamist party, his wife covers every single strand of hair under a traditional Muslim headdress. Erdogan is the Islamic leader of a democratic country.

It is highly unusual, even historic, for a man with Erdogan's standing and background to come on an official visit to the State of Israel. True, Israel and Turkey have had a steadily developing relationship for some years now. But the relationship has developed much less steadily since Recep Tayyip Erdogan stepped into his position as prime minister.

This visit was essential for both countries. The visit was productive in many ways. The visit set the tone for other concerned countries, Arab countries and for the United States. This visit was not without tension.

It is the diplomatic norm for all official visitors to Israel to pay their respects at Yad Vashem, Israel's National Holocaust Museum. Erdogan paid his visit, but did not pay his respects. In a rejection of the diplomatic norm the Turkish prime minister did not don a skullcap for the recitation of the prayer for the Six Million, customarily chanted in the Memorial Hall. Wearing the skullcap is diplomatic protocol. German chancellors wear it. Polish presidents wear it. African leaders wear it. Even communists wear it. Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not. It was a major diplomatic faux pas. Israel was upset. Diplomatic protocol was snubbed.

Visiting Yas Vashem, however, was not the purpose of Erdogan's visit to Israel.

The Turkish prime minister has been very public in his critique of Israel. He has been especially critical of Israel vis a vis the peace process with the Palestinians. And yet, during the visit, he underscored the importance of the relationship between Israel and Turkey.

And then he went further. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan volunteered to serve as mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. It was certainly a very nice offer and one the prime minister truly believed would be well received. But it will never come to pass.

It should be apparent to any observer that neither Israel nor the United States will ever allow an Islamist prime minister from Turkey to mediate this process. For Israel, Turkey is a Muslim nation with whom diplomatic relations are on a seesaw. When it comes to matters of peace and mediation, Turkey is not to be trusted.

The United States would never even let the Turks enter the negotiating room. Turkey is the country that refused to allow US planes to take off or use their air space during the Gulf War. Allowing Turkey to serve as mediator in the Israeli Palestinian peace process, with the eyes of the world upon them, would be giving the grand prize to an undeserving nation.

The Palestinians would love for Turkey to intercede. For the Palestinians, it would be a perfect situation. Turkey is a Muslim country. More importantly, Turkey is not the United States of America.

Offering to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians, however, was not the purpose of Erdogan's visit to Israel.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to Israel to buy arms and trade information.

Israel has been developing a large and significant arms trade in the world at large. Turkey has been an important part of that development. Israel and Turkey are linked in one other, crucial way. They share a battlefield against terror and that fight has become an important and dynamic dimension in the relationship between these two Middle Eastern countries.

Turkey is a breeding ground for terror. Turkey, like Israel, has been victim to several horrific acts of terror. During the third week of November 2003 there were four devastating near simultaneous attacks in Turkey against two synagogues, the British Consulate and a branch of HSBC Bank. Turkey needs to learn more about techniques for fighting terror. Israel needs more intel. Turkey has access to terror intel. Israel has the techniques for properly using that intel. In fact, these two countries have agreed to set up a "red phone hot line" concerning terror.

Turkey and Israel. Definitely not a match made in heaven. Certainly a relationship based on mutual need.

4 June 2017 12:14 PM in Columns


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