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Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4360226,00.html
Erdogan's Miscalculation
(Ynet News) Ron Ben-Yishai - What really led to the sudden reconciliation between Turkey and Israel after so many failed attempts to reach an acceptable formula? Erdogan had seen the conflict with Israel as an excellent opportunity to bolster his political status within his country, and mostly to be perceived as a regional leader. Yet the Turks failed in almost every diplomatic move - in Libya, Syria, and Egypt. They saw that the persistent conflict with Israel was failing to bring them the political gain and status they had hoped for, yet it was causing them damage in NATO and Washington. Their incitement in the global media against Israel came back at them like a boomerang. Obama's visit to Israel created the climate which allowed Erdogan to slightly relax his demands, while Netanyahu took advantage of the visit's momentum to slightly relax the wording of the Israeli apology and give Erdogan a ladder to climb down. Erdogan simply realized that his inflammatory policy against Israel was not giving him the dividends he hoped for, but rather causing him damage in the West.