The relations between Israel and Turkey were tense for more than a decade, although the two countries maintained diplomatic and commercial relations during several crises, but we are now facing a different reality, in which Turkey – the great regional forces in the region – has become the exhausted threshold of Israel from the war.
Early December 2024 witnessed the fall of the Bashar al -Assad regime in Syria, which made Turkey and Israel closer to a “hidden” conflict over what observers describe as “regional domination.”
Julian McBraide believes in an article in Foreign Police (FPIF) that Israeli strikes against what he described as “the origins of the new Syrian government” may be in the interest of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as he expected – and also – that the transitional government will request the transitional government Al -Jadida, led by the Headquarters for the Liberation of Al -Sham, complete Turkish military support, which makes Ankara actually replaced Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, as the latest threat to the border with Israel.
Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have exchanged harsh and rough statements over the years, and before that, the two countries maintained a strong and friendly relationship, while Erdogan was an explicit criticism of Israel and defenders of the Palestinians.
One of the worst points of relations in 2010 when a Turkish -led fleet – aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip – ended with a clash with the Israeli forces and the killing of 10 Turkish citizens, and Erdogan accused Israel of committing war crimes.
Relatives improved in 2017, but the relative friendly relations did not last long. Isaac Herzog to Ankara in 2022.
The brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza led Erdogan to declare cutting all relations with the Jewish state, after the two parties announced the imposition of mutual barriers on each other in April last year.
Türkiye has also joined the petition recently, South Africa against Israel, in the International Court of Justice, which accuses it of committing a genocide against Fustin civilians. During the war, Türkiye provided Gaza with tons of humanitarian aid.
Tourism, which was a major aspect of bilateral relations between Turkey and Israel, has also disappeared, and there are currently no direct flights between the two countries, which was the road that was previously one of the most roads leaving from Israel.
When the Palestinian political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the neighboring Tehran, Turkish flags were blocked, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to the assassination by announcing a national mourning day, in conjunction with the decision to block the Instagram application after deleting his publications that mourns Haniyeh.
The recent developments in Syria, which left the country in an open confrontation, prompted Türkiye and Israel to send their forces to Syrian territory, but in different regions.
Before the collapse of the Assad’s family regime in Damascus, Turkish researcher Murad Yesiltaash wrote in the daily Al -Sabah newspaper on October 11, saying: “The military, security and intelligence community in Turkey must reconsider how to deal with the new wave of insecurity in the East The middle, and the escalating military tensions between Israel and Iran, and the aggressive Israeli policies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and the strategic ambiguity of the United States, make it necessary to reconsider the doctrine of security and defense in Turkey.
The Turkish strategic community must understand that the defense -based security doctrine will not be sufficient to deal with the new wave of insecurity in the Middle East, and it should develop a policy that would enhance Turkey’s strategic deterrence and its ability to withstand.
This recommendation was interpreted – at the time – that it implicitly indicates the Israeli threat that began to be brutal and mutilated against the pleasant area with Türkiye and its hot borders in its south.
After the collapse of Assad, who appeared to be- in its details- a Turkish decision, Professor Efrat Aviv, the Israeli expert in Turkish affairs from the Department of General History at Bar Ilan University and the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, told Media Line: “There are possibilities for a future military confrontation between Israel And Turkey. This is unprecedented, as is the case with all the events in the region recently.
The Israelis believe that the military confrontation between Turkey and Israel – if it happens – will be unprecedented, whether it is intentional or unintended, as Israel, which is still in the midst of a war and suffers from the shock of the horrific attack that Hamas launched on the border, has become less tolerant with the possibility of similar surprises On the other limits.
Aviv said: “Israel cannot allow another Iran to be on its northern border even if this leads to a confrontation with Turkey, and if Turkey allows itself to invade Syria, it cannot ask Israel to withdraw its forces from there, and Israel needs to protect its interests.”
And in the first week of last January, the latest report of the “Malgel” committee – formed by the Israeli government – warned about the defense budget and the security strategy, which he described as Turkey’s ambitions to restore its influence, which was prevalent during the Ottoman era, and that it may lead to the escalation of tensions with Israel And it may escalate to an armed conflict, and the report sheds light on the danger of the Syrian factions alliance with Turkey, which poses a new and strong threat to Israel’s security.
The Nagil Committee recommended that Israel be widely prepared for the potential military confrontations scenarios in the northern region (Syria), where Türkiye has invested large money and forces.
On the day the “Najhal” report was issued, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan hinted that he does not rule out the use of force, against any regional intervention, betting on the sectarian and ethnic diversity of the division of Syria, and in a way that threatens Turkish national security, and said: Ankara is ready to intervene to prevent any division For Syria and you will also take the “necessary measures” if you notice “the slightest danger.”
There is no doubt that the two regional powers; Israel and Turkey have benefited greatly from the disintegration of the Iranian -led axis, especially in Syria, however, each of the two countries will need a mechanism to reduce the escalation and dialogue to avoid conflict in the future, and despite their differences, international mediation, especially by the United States , It can prevent the keeping of the two governments; Israeli and Turkish in a “critical situation” in the affected and tiring Middle East.
There is a common denominator between the theorists of American foreign policy, as despite the increasing conflict between Israel and Turkey, it is possible to take several steps to prevent the two regional powers from collision.
The Trump administration, known for its firm position in the Middle East, has recently announced its intention to restore its policies towards the region, and document its relationship with Erdogan as an important regional mediator and cannot jump on his presence or ignore it, a position that will put at the top of its duties in the region, reduce tensions between The two main regional partners, and the Americans expect that Trump will host Turkey’s foreign ministers and Israel in Washington to try to revive and revive the normalization of relations between the two countries again.
The opinions in the article do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al -Jazeera.
(Tagstotranslate) Politics (T) Asia (T) Israel (T) Türkiye