Turkey and Israel: Dating with Hate

by Burak Bekdil
September 21, 2022 at 4:30 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18900/turkey-israel-hate

Israel is normalizing diplomatic relations with a country whose unchallenged leader for the past two decades once described Zionism as a crime against humanity. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's political formation was based on a militant expanse of anti-Zionism as a raison d'être. Erdoğan is just as anti-Israeli today as he was 40, 30, 20 and 10 years ago.
There is too much evidence unmasking Erdoğan's fake peace with the Jewish state.
Erdoğan's peace with Israel is not peace. It is a tactical move to flash to Washington: I am being a good boy, give me the F-16s, do not sanction me as further sanctions may terminate my rule at the ballot box next year. Turkey's official annual inflation rate running at 80%.... Erdoğan's chances for re-election in June 2023 are getting slimmer every day.
Ankara and Jerusalem have not yet announced (as of August 30) who their new ambassadors will be. Whoever they will be, they should keep a bag packed for a fast departure.

Israel is normalizing diplomatic relations with a country whose unchallenged leader for the past two decades once described Zionism as a crime against humanity. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's peace with Israel is not peace. It is a tactical move to flash to Washington: I am being a good boy, give me the F-16s, do not sanction me further... Pictured: The flags of Turkey and Israel fly at the Armored Corps Museum in Latrun, Israel, on August 18, 2022. (Photo by Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images)

Blessed are the peacemakers: it sounds so nice that Turkey and Israel have decided to be friends again. After a four-year hostile chill in relations has thawed gradually in recent months, the former allies have agreed to restore full diplomatic relations, exchanging ambassadors. Nice? Very nice! Champagne to celebrate the peace? Sloooow down.

It has been more than a decade since Turkey and Israel, once strategic partners, broke up badly, with an angry Ankara vowing to isolate Israel internationally. It has also been more than five years since the two countries decided to "give peace a chance" once more and appointed ambassadors. The envoys had to pack up and leave after 17 months of trying to put things back together again.

Israel is normalizing diplomatic relations with a country whose unchallenged leader for the past two decades once described Zionism as a crime against humanity. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's political formation was based on a militant expanse of anti-Zionism as a raison d'être. Erdoğan is just as anti-Israeli today as he was 40, 30, 20 and 10 years ago.

In a 2015 study, the Anti-Defamation League found that 35 million out of an adult population of 49 million Turks, or 71%, harbored antisemitic attitudes, compared to an average 49% in the entire Muslim world. Just 15 months ago, in May 2021, Erdoğan, referring to Jewish people, said: "It is in their disposition that they are only satisfied by sucking blood." Part of Erdoğan's rage has also been directed at U.S. President Joe Biden. "Today we have witnessed Biden's approval of weapons [sales] to Israel. You [Biden] are writing history with bloody hands." Erdoğan's remarks came as the Biden administration approved the potential sale of $735 million in precision-guided munitions to Israel.

There is too much evidence unmasking Erdoğan's fake peace with the Jewish state. In particular, one incident eclipses all others. In September 2020, Erdoğan threatened to reduce diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the Gulf state made peace with Israel. Erdoğan accused the UAE of "betraying the Palestinian cause." That was just silly: Turkey has had diplomatic relations with Israel since 1949. Now, with his peace initiative, Erdoğan appears to be even more hypocritical: Is Turkey now "betraying the Palestinian cause" by restoring full diplomatic relations with Israel?

No, Erdoğan protested as he hosted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara. Erdoğan said that the decision to upgrade ties with Israel "will in no way diminish our support for the Palestinian cause." That was a message for many wavelengths.

To Jerusalem: I will deal less with Hamas and more with Abbas.

To Hamas: I will deal with you covertly. My ideological love for you is eternal. But our love affair must remain a secret.

To the Turks: I am not betraying the Palestinians. See how I appreciate Abbas? (For Turks, Palestinians are Palestinians, whether Hamas or Abbas.)

Erdoğan's peace with Israel is not peace. It is a tactical move to flash to Washington: I am being a good boy, give me the F-16s, do not sanction me as further sanctions may terminate my rule at the ballot box next year. Turkey's official annual inflation rate running at 80%, with one US dollar trading at 18 Turkish liras, per capita income at $8,000, poverty, high unemployment. Erdoğan's chances for re-election in June 2023 are getting slimmer every day.

This will be a fragile peace effort between the most important U.S. ally in the Middle East and an unreliable NATO member. In his election campaign next year, Erdoğan will resort, once again, to his pro-Hamas, "champion-of-the-Palestinian-cause" rhetoric to win a few more votes.

Ankara and Jerusalem have not yet announced (as of August 30) who their new ambassadors will be. Whoever they will be, they should keep a bag packed for a fast departure.

Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

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Related Topics: Israel, Turkey

Recent Articles by Burak Bekdil

Why Erdoğan Wants a UN Seat for Muslims, 2023-11-14
Jihad on Israel: Where Does Turkey Stand? - Part II, 2023-10-13
Jihad on Israel: Where Does Turkey Stand?, 2023-10-10
Putin's Man in Ankara: Erdoğan, 2023-10-04
Turkey: An Air Force Without Wings, 2023-09-22

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Comment on this item

13 Reader Comments

hildesheim • Oct 12, 2022 at 09:59

As always Burak Bekdil is a fine analyst of the political atmosphere in Turkey in relation with the political situation created by its president not only with Israel but with other neighbors as well. I absolutely agree with Burak that the so called "rapprochement" of Israel and Turkey is only but a tactical move from Erdogan. I long for the time where people like Burak will make possible again a true friendship between our two nations.

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Harvey Radnor • Sep 22, 2022 at 15:47

I think Israel is well aware that treachery is Erdogan's middle name. A leopard doesn't change its spots.

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Dr David Salinger • Sep 21, 2022 at 20:05

And the Israelis believe this nutcase? Erdogan is playing to a different audience as the article clearly states! Why carry on with the charade? Maybe one day in the future Israel and Turkey may be friends. But not right now! Erdogan, as usual, is playing both ends against the middle.

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waljay • Sep 21, 2022 at 17:18

Simply Erdogan's best ploy to intefer with Israel-Greek cooperation as much as possible.
They especially oppose a gas pipeline to Europe that they can't control.

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David Salinger

waljay • Sep 23, 2022 at 11:17

Well the EU also opposed the pipeline ! Now that Russia has cut them off, they have changed their minds ! Typical of the EU !

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Bro. Nick Nicholas • Sep 21, 2022 at 12:44

There is coming the time when Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - the former PM - and current President of Turkey - will understand that his following the Mohammedanism policy of 'Tiqyya' against "Israel" has consequences.
- For "it is written" in Genesis, Chapter 12 [KJV] :
[1] Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
[2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
[3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

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Barry Meislin • Sep 21, 2022 at 12:15

Nothing that Erdogan claims, declares, state or otherwise hints can be relied upon.
It would also very much behoove Israel's leaders NOT to overlook the overtly aggressive stance that Erdogan has recently been taking against Greece.
Clearly, Israel is being played here... but wanting so much to be loved does have a tendency of warping one's clarity of vision...

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Jean Hildesheim

Barry Meislin • Oct 12, 2022 at 11:35

Surely most Israelis do not believe in what can defined as love between Turkey and Israel. As Charles de Gaulle said cynically once"there is no friendship between countries, only interests," a philosophy that the French president had followed at least with Israel. Erdogan is not better and we should avoid by all means his "friendship."

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Bull Herman • Sep 21, 2022 at 11:35

Erdogan is a like a tapeworm inside your pet. Uncomfortable, sucking energy, offering nothing positive, and always breaking off and trying to spread elsewhere.
A pain in the ass.
It's best for everyone if Erdogan goes down the sewer.

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shloime • Sep 21, 2022 at 11:00

Obama once described Erdogan as his "best friend in the middle east", at the same time that they were tag-teaming to humiliate Netanyahu and Israel.

Erdogan needs diplomatic relations with Israel far more than Israel needs him. I doubt that helping him win re-election is in Israel's interests.

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Russell • Sep 21, 2022 at 09:30

Historically, Turkey seem have the habit of choosing the wrong side in conflicts. We really should pray for the Turkish people that they have a Christian revival and that many are saved.

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Rabbi Joel Schwartzman • Sep 21, 2022 at 09:00

This article is accurate as far as it goes, but it leaves out a crucial element of Erdogan's near romantic approach to Israel: Turkey desires to have any natural gas pipeline that stretches from Israel to Europe cross through Turkish territory enabling Turkey to derive much needed fees that materialize from that endeavor. The U.S. nixed the Israel-Cyprus-Greece pipeline, although it had no part of the funding. One wonders if this wasn't a behind-the-scenes sop to Erdogan with the implication that any such pipeline would traverse Turkey instead, and as an incentive for him to play nice with Israel.

Israel would be wise not to crawl too far into bed with the Turkish leader. Like a scorpion, he has stung the Jewish state on many occasions. One cannot know when his next calculated, anti-Israel castigation may arise.

Still, Erdogan harbors Hamas. It has the luxury of being able to plan attacks on Israel from the safety of Turkish soil. Nice two step moves on Erdogan's part. Make nice with the Jews and support their killers.

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Walter • Sep 21, 2022 at 08:30

This article is spot-on and it will get much worse. With ragard to Israel, "Sultan" Erdogan will soon show his real face and join the Israel hating coalition of Iran, Russia, Sudan and Libya to get rid of the "Zionist occupation" of "Palestinian land"! Mark my words.

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