Turkey confirms negotiations are taking place with Israel

Though he holds firm that Israel must meet Turkish demands, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has confirmed there are talks taking place with Israel on the matter of reconciliation and normalization of ties between the two nations.

He also acknowledged that Turkey was actively involved in brokering the Gaza ceasefire, along with Egypt and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It was reported during Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense that Israel had reached out to Turkey in reference to Gaza through ‘intelligence back channels’. Turkey’s head of intelligence was present in Cairo and assisted in discussions with Hamas.

Israel and Turkey had enjoyed a relatively close relationship for several decades. Tourism and trade flowed both ways between the two countries. Turkey though Muslim, never participated in any of the Arab-Israeli wars since Israel’s independence. The two nations had also developed close military ties with cross training and military industry deals between the two nations. It is widely believed in and out of military and intelligence circles that in 2007 Turkey allowed the over flight of Israeli warplanes which bombed and destroyed Syria’s one fledgling nuclear weapons facility near Deir Alzour in Syria’s northeast region.

However relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated dramatically after the May 2010 incident at sea where a Turkish flagged relief ship bound for Gaza was stormed by Israeli forces and 9 civilians were killed in the ensuing fight including Turkish citizens. Turkey has insisted ever since on a formal apology from Israel, monetary compensation for the families and the total lifting of all restrictions in place by the Israeli land and naval blockade of Gaza.

Whether there had been an approach made by Israel or Turkey prior to Israel’s air strikes on Gaza is unknown. But, Israel’s bold and punishing air campaign against Hamas in Gaza and the now known imminence of an Israeli invasion and occupation of Gaza on the eve of the ceasefire, no doubt has played a role in the decision by Turkey to at least entertain discussions with Israel.

Had normal relations existed, Turkey may have been able to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier on in the fight and without the ‘political baggage’ brought to the table by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood in the form of President Morsi.

Another factor for Turkey is Iran. There is currently a growing adversarial situation between Turkey and Iran, primarily involving the two nations backing of opposite sides in the Syrian Civil War. But, there is also a similar pattern developing involving both nations and Iraq.

These situations have driven an even deeper wedge between Ankara and Tehran than previously existed. Iran and Turkey share a border, though it is an extremely mountainous border region inhospitable to a regular battle between two armies.

However, Iran does have missiles and is of course, known to be working on a nuclear program. Iranian intelligence agents have been caught and arrested by Turkish military authorities assisting the Kurdish insurgent group known in Turkey as the Kurdistan Workers Party, (PKK).

But, it is the Iranian missiles and nuclear program that no doubt has Turkey’s government worried the most and it may well be why they are now holding discussions with Israel. The day may come when the benefits of a rapprochement with Israel outweighs any Turkish heartburn over the assault and seizure of a relief ship carrying aid to a terrorist group in Gaza supported primarily by Iran.

via Turkey confirms negotiations are taking place with Israel – Arlington Foreign Policy | Examiner.com.