Defense Minister Benny Gantz's visit to Turkey and his meetings with his counterpart, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, and his previously unplanned meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is an interesting development. Although there has been a significant improvement in relations between Israel and Turkey in the past year, it was expected that both countries would be cautious about renewing security relations, given that in the last decade they have seen fewer common security interests than in the 1990s. Moreover, the crisis in relations, especially since the flotilla incident In 2010, contributed to mutual suspicion between the parties.
Unlike other figures who have visited Turkey or met with senior Turkish officials since the beginning of the current normalization between the two countries, Gantz is a figure who is distinctly identified with the IDF, due to both his current and his previous positions. He even served as Chief of Staff at a time when Turkey and its leader severely attacked Israeli military activity. From this standpoint, the Gantz-Erdogan meeting marks a mutual understanding of the benefits of normalization and the willingness of both sides to show flexibility in order to promote it. Presumably one of the reasons for the renewed interest of both sides in security cooperation is the fear of increasing Iranian influence in both northern Iraq and northeastern Syria, along with Turkish and Israeli support for Azerbaijan – cooperation perceived as threatening in the eyes of Tehran.
Throughout the years of the crisis in relations with Turkey, Israel worked to develop its relations with Greece and Cyprus, including in the security realm. In this respect, the fact that Gantz cancelled his trip to Greece last week in order to participate in the opening ceremony of an international flight school in the country, which will be operated by Elbit, departs from previous Israeli conduct. It is possible, however, that the changes in schedule can be explained by the constraints arising from the forthcoming elections in Israel.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz's visit to Turkey and his meetings with his counterpart, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, and his previously unplanned meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is an interesting development. Although there has been a significant improvement in relations between Israel and Turkey in the past year, it was expected that both countries would be cautious about renewing security relations, given that in the last decade they have seen fewer common security interests than in the 1990s. Moreover, the crisis in relations, especially since the flotilla incident In 2010, contributed to mutual suspicion between the parties.
Unlike other figures who have visited Turkey or met with senior Turkish officials since the beginning of the current normalization between the two countries, Gantz is a figure who is distinctly identified with the IDF, due to both his current and his previous positions. He even served as Chief of Staff at a time when Turkey and its leader severely attacked Israeli military activity. From this standpoint, the Gantz-Erdogan meeting marks a mutual understanding of the benefits of normalization and the willingness of both sides to show flexibility in order to promote it. Presumably one of the reasons for the renewed interest of both sides in security cooperation is the fear of increasing Iranian influence in both northern Iraq and northeastern Syria, along with Turkish and Israeli support for Azerbaijan – cooperation perceived as threatening in the eyes of Tehran.
Throughout the years of the crisis in relations with Turkey, Israel worked to develop its relations with Greece and Cyprus, including in the security realm. In this respect, the fact that Gantz cancelled his trip to Greece last week in order to participate in the opening ceremony of an international flight school in the country, which will be operated by Elbit, departs from previous Israeli conduct. It is possible, however, that the changes in schedule can be explained by the constraints arising from the forthcoming elections in Israel.