The shifting relationship between Turkey and Israel has transitioned from strategic collaboration to serious diplomatic crises over the past seven decades. Turkey has shifted its support of Israel to openly opposing it, particularly during the past five years, especially regarding the Palestinian issue. Turkey’s leverage publicly to oppose Israel is a consequence of changing political and regional alignments. Turkey’s initial relationship with the State of Israel, also compared to that among Turkey’s Middle Eastern Arab counterparts, was much different, having changed strategic alignment during the Cold War and changing through public alignment during the opening of the Arab Spring movement.
Turkey and Israel, as two of the three non-Arab countries in the region, have had an extraordinarily complicated relationship. Turkey recognized the state of Israel in 1949 under a very low-key, balanced policy between the 1950s and 1980s, based on changing regional involvement with Israeli policy developments. In 1988, the Turkish government recognized the Palestinian Authority and its statehood while promoting diplomatic and economic relations with Israel and Arab neighbors. Visits and cooperation in the early 1990s indicated that the relationship had quickly progressed beyond initial parameters and was inclusive of Israel’s original position on Palestinians promoted by some Arab states.
What historical events have shaped Turkey’s relationship with Israel?
The two sides first cooperated when they made a clandestine agreement called the “peripheral pact” in 1958, with the Turkish Prime Minister and the Israeli Prime Minister agreeing to arm and even exchange intelligence. Yet, once the regional wars were over, Turkey started to become more moderate. Following the Six-Day War of 1967, Turkey decided to support the Arabs against Israel and urged it to give up all the areas it had gained but stopped short of blaming Israel for starting the conflict. Although Turkey’s neighbors advised ending diplomatic relations in the 1970s and 80s, Turkey still expanded its representation in Israel and maintained its relations as an active diplomat.
Following the incident, relations worsened as Israel at first declined to apologize, leading to increased tensions with Turkey. Because of the event, Turkey decided to halt military cooperation with Israel, expel the ambassador, and take Israel to the International Court of Justice. Although Israel said they were sorry after pressure from the United States in 2013, the situation remained tense.
How did the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake influence Turkey-Israel relations?
Israel was an early country to offer major help to Turkey after the earthquake that took place on 6 February 2023. The country sent a large amount of equipment, together with medical experts and both military and civilian search and rescue crews.
More than 200 Israeli personnel flew in 15 cargo aircraft hauling field hospitals and cooperated with Turkish officials and humanitarian groups. Because of the transportation provided by Turkish Airlines, Israeli NGOs joined with member organizations to deliver initial assistance to several affected areas.
The rhetoric from Turkish leaders shifted positively towards Israel as a result of humanitarian actions. The president said that Israel’s fast and professional assistance would not be forgotten by his country and that 19 Turkish people owed their lives to the Israelis. Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Turkey, expressed that the collaboration would boost ties with Israel to a higher position. Part of the reason Erdogan praised Biden is to show the US he wants stronger connections with Israel.
Turkey-Israel relations after 7 October
Turkey-Israel relations were already coming apart at the seams, and the events of October 7 prompted a global crisis. Erdogan initially positioned himself in more moderate terms. He called for calm from both Israelis and Palestinians in an address from Ankara. This slightly more measured approach lasted barely a minute. In only a few days, President Erdogan raised his tone against Israel, calling what happened in Gaza a war crime and genocide, and said he would assist Palestinians.
Erdogan has been active in positioning his administration as a supporter of Palestinians during his time as president. His fleeting restraint that was on display after October 7 quickly shifted to more familiar strong talk, although with no more violent action to accompany it. Although it remains an understatement to say that Erdogan’s government has been, by and large, restrained in action, Erdogan’s speeches have been increasingly more incendiary, labeling Israel a terrorist state and comparing Israel’s leaders to past tyrants. As Erdogan has shifted his incendiary rhetoric left of the confined border of characteristics, the mismatched nature of the rhetoric with his policies has remained glaring. In other words, it was brave rhetoric for a domestic audience, but there was a conspicuous lack of foreign action.
Additionally, Erdogan’s administration has handled anti-Israel demonstrations at home with caution. The administration has attempted to keep control of the rallies that have broken out throughout Turkey, reflecting the public’s ire towards Israel. Protests are allowed under government supervision to prevent widespread unrest.
Turkey’s reaction towards Gaza
Erdogan’s Turkey supports Hamas and denounces Israel’s actions while calling Hamas liberators. Erdogan seeks to lead the ummah and develop support by drawing on religion and history. Erdogan’s securitization of Turkish politics domestically involves creating a fictitious threat of a possible Israeli attack on Turkey. Additionally, Erdogan has made Turkey seem like a regional player that can intervene and help resolve crises in the Middle East by pointing to Turkey’s earlier acts in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Relations with Israel have not been officially downgraded, but Turkish relations with Israel and Turkey’s relations with other countries in the region are positioned unfavorably towards Israel; notably, the Turkish ambassador to Israel was withdrawn, as well as other country ambassadors being withdrawn from Turkey, and Turkey supported South Africa’s genocide complaint against Israel to be filed in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It is uncertain what precedent this may set in the long term.
There are real limits to Erdogan’s ambitions given Turkey’s political and economic limitations. Turkey’s already tenuous economy could cripple it under full-scale regional conflict, especially one involving Iran and its allies. Since Erdogan is experienced with business, his country has not fully severed economic connections with Israel, because there is a lot of potential in such trades. Despite a worsening connection with Israel, Turkish transit of Azerbaijani oil to Israel does not stop, even with further tensions.
Have Turkey’s relations with Israel shifted because of the Gaza conflict?
Relations between Turkey and Israel have become much worse now that the GUAE and EU discuss urgent ceasefire for Gaza conflictaza conflict has occurred. A statement from Turkey after the incident on October 7 condemned Israel for what it alleged were genocide and war crimes as Israel responded to fighter jets from Hamas. President Erdogan backed Hamas wholeheartedly, branded it as a terrorist group, and encouraged Islamic nations to act against Israeli “expansionism.” Moreover, the conflict stopped any progress from being made with normalization after talks started in 2015. Before the war, both Turkey and Israel had agreements that covered reconciliation efforts and helped victims of the 2010 Gaza flotilla.
