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Erdogan's Islamists Damage Turkey-Israel Relations

(Israel Hayom) Amb. Freddy Eytan - Since the Islamists took power in Turkey, Ankara has changed its face and strategy. Its government has radicalized and immersed itself in the cults of God, divinity, the former Ottoman Empire, and personality. Erdogan's Turkey has sought to establish itself as a regional power. Its new attempts to impose its agenda on Syria worry Israel and risk sabotaging normalization with Damascus. Erdogan still dreams of leading the Sunni world against Shiite Iran, which was greatly weakened after the 12-Day War. Over the past two decades, Israel has experienced numerous crises with Erdogan. Israeli President Herzog's official visit to Ankara in March 2022 failed to improve relations, either diplomatically or commercially. Relations have worsened on all levels since Oct. 7, 2023, but have not been completely severed. Turkey is a huge strategic country and a member of NATO. It is a great civilization and it still has its place in the society of nations, despite a dark past with the Germans, the Armenian genocide, the massive attacks against the Kurds, and the war against Cyprus. The Ottomans ruled our region for more than 400 years, and their imprint is still etched in our memory. However, Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize the Jewish state, and until Erdogan came to power, our relations with Ankara were excellent, particularly on the military and intelligence fronts. Turkey's exports to Israel amount to more than $7 billion. The Turkish people are certainly not our enemy, and we wish to return one day to normal and friendly relations. The writer, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, is a former Foreign Ministry senior adviser who was Israel's first ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
2025-09-02 00:00:00
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