Turkish-Israeli relations suffered a big blow because of the Mavi Marmara affair. As Turkey and Israel are working now on mending their relations, the question remains whether they will be able to avoid fierce competition in a relentlessly changing Middle East following the Arab Spring. As there are also mutual concerns and incentives to cooperate, the term may be the best way to describe the future relations between the two.
Turkey’s announcement that the Chinesecompany CPMIEC had won the tender for the purchase of a long range air defensesystem came as a surprise to Turkey’s NATO partners – even though prior rumorshad indicated this would be the decision – and was met with much disapproval. WhileTurkish President Abdullah Gul said that the decision was not final and thedeal had yet to be finalized and signed, the terms of the tender obligateTurkey to move ahead with China. Thus, it seems that it will take more than thecurrent level of condemnation by...
Gallia Lindenstrauss, Orit Perlov, and Timor Saitov present the causes for the recent demonstrations in Turkey, analyze the key protest groups, bring the reaction of the Turkish government, and stress the important role social media has taken.
Since he became US Secretary of State in February 2013, John Kerry has met with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu four times. Only one other foreign dignitary has spent more time with Kerry – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Simple arithmetic does not reveal much about foreign policy priorities, but this fact does symbolize the importance that the Obama administration attaches to a new, improved version of the “reset” in Russian-American relations. That, in turn, has important implications for the outcome of the ongoing...
The Israeli apology to Turkey for operational errors during the takeover of the Mavi Marmara in May 2010 and the agreement between the sides to start a process of normalization in relations is a major development, long awaited in Israel, Turkey, and the United States. While many have questioned whether this apology at the current time is sufficient to restore relations, the negotiations underway since the Mavi Marmara episode have made it very clear that without such an apology there was no chance of restoring relations. From this...
The reports of a resumption of negotiations between Turkey and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan represent one of the positive developments of early 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is highly popular among his public, and one of the major expectations of him is that he will be able to achieve a solution to this painful issue, which has already caused the death of 40,000 people in Turkey, including 700 in 2012. While under Erdoğan Turkey has made unprecedented progress towards a solution, more...
The book includes thirteen analytical essays written by INSS and outside researchers. Focus is on Israel’s strategic environment, particularly the challenges and the opportunities that await Israel in 2013. The chief issues are: the Iranian nuclear threat; renewal of the politcal process with the Palestinians; preservation of the peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan; the increasing instability among Israel’s neighbors, especially Syria; and preservation of Israel’s international stature.
Many decision makers and analysts in Israel and around the world contend that Iran’s attainment of a military nuclear capability will increase nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East and create a multi-polar nuclear system in the region. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt are considered the main candidates to go nuclear in order to balance Iran’s nuclear power. This article will test this argument primarily from the perspective of the motivations and capabilities that may spur these countries to develop a nuclear...
It was one of the rare weeks since the outbreak of the Arab awakening that went well for Turkey. Between what was seen as a successful visit by Vladimir Putin to Istanbul on December 3, 2012 and NATO’s approval the following day of the deployment of Patriot missiles in Turkey, it seemed as if Turkey was currently playing its cards right. For Turkey, the best scenario is exactly the one that manifested itself that week – a solid base in NATO coupled with good relations with Russia. Whether this is sustainable in the long run is...
In many ways, Turkey’s activism in the Middle East reached a peak in 2010. The Gaza flotilla affair and the aftermath of Israel’s takeover of the Mavi Marmara boosted Trukey’s ranking in Arab public opinion, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoִan became the most popular leader in the region. Relations between Turkey and its close neighbors – Syria, Iran, and Iraq – continued to improve. Furthermore, Turkey pursued its efforts to serve as a mediator in the region, and although it did not succeed in brokering...
On November 28, 2011 Turkey announced that it will follow the Arab League (and previous policies of the EU) in imposing economic sanctions on Syria. As Turkey is Syria’s largest trading partner, these actions (albeit a bit more softened than the sanctions of the Arab League) clearly mark a low point in relations. In addition, this measure can be seen as one in a series of events that have brought about a sharp deterioration in Turkish-Syrian relations.
Following the publication of the Palmer Report after it was leaked to the New York Times, Turkey took a number of steps against Israel. Most of these measures, such as the downgrading of diplomatic relations and the official freeze in military relations, which in any case were already limited, were to be expected, but their scope and intensity are a blow to Israel. In a press conference held by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and in subsequent statements, Turkey repeated its position that it does not accept the legality of...
