Dubai: Regional developments and shifting political alliances have paved the way for both Turkey and Israel to end their six-year diplomatic standoff. And their rapprochement was made possible by the realisation that their mutual interests trump shifting alliances, political analysts told Gulf News.
“The difference is in the methodology, but not in the actual core politics,” replied Ahmet Uysal, a political scientist at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at Marmara University, when asked if the deal reflects a change in Ankara’s policies to coincide with the appointment of the new Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim.
“Turkey is adapting to new regional developments,” he said, adding that things are not as they used to be five years ago in the country. He was referring to the rise of the Daesh threat and shifting Russian and Iranian roles in Syria.
“Both Russia and Iran are trying to corner Turkey, and this is the main reason for Turkey to open the door with Israel,” Uysal told Gulf News. “This is the main reason. Therefore, this will relieve pressure on Turkey from its northern, eastern and even southern borders. The Russian-Iranian alliance is putting pressure on Turkey.”
Moscow and Tehran have taken a position favouring Bashar Al Assad in the war in Syria, while Ankara remains a vocal opponent of the Syrian regime. Those divergent positions have led to an unprecedented rift between Ankara and Moscow.
At the same time, Turkey has other issues with Israel, going back to 2010. Then, Israeli naval commandos shot dead nine Turkish activists travelling on an aid flotilla making for the Gaza coast.
Statements of both Israeli and Turkish officials are, however, slightly contradicting each other on the nitty-gritty of Sunday’s agreement.
The deal will restore full diplomatic relations and pay compensation for the families of those killed and wounded in the raid on the aid flotilla. It’s still not clear, however, whether Israel will lift the siege it imposes on the Gaza Strip – as Turkey has repeatedly demanded.
Omar Ashour, a senior lecturer in Middle East politics and security studies at Exeter University, observed: “What is being agreed on behind closed doors is not what is being announced or being interpreted publicly, because each side is talking to their supporters in Tel Aviv and Ankara – and both have different positions.”
Ultimately though, both Turkey and Israel have acted according to their best interests, Ashour told Gulf News.
“There are mutual interests, and there are the same security threats to both,” he said. “There is the escalation of Daesh, and the rising influence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria. Both parties are harmed by these parties along their borders.”
With regard to pressure from Iran and Russia, Ashour said it is important to remember that Turkey is a Nato member, and he added that building stronger ties with Israel is a benefit.
Relations between Turkey and Israel have been traditionally strong, and Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognise the state of Israel in 1949.
“Throughout the past years, bilateral trade relations were there and were not clearly being affected,” said Hunaida Ganem, head of Madar, a West Bank-based Palestinian Forum for Israeli Studies.
“Reaching the agreement is actually serving the interests of both countries,” she told Gulf News. “I don’t think, even for a second, that Turkey would burn all its bridges with Israel”.
Ganem believes Turkey has not changed its policies, but rather its tone when it comes to discussing them.