Turkish President takes a U-turn on the staunch anti-Israel stand

Ankara – ‘Just as the UAE and Turkey have re-established cooperation, Turkey will take steps to re-establish cooperation with Israel. Turkey will soon send its ambassador to Israel,’ said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After taking an aggressive stance against Israel for the past ten years, Erdogan’s announcement is being viewed with surprise.

Turkey had established political relations with Israel within a year after the creation of Israel in 1948. After that, political ties between the two countries continued for six decades. But in 2010, Israel launched a military operation against a Turkish ship bound for the Gaza Strip. After nine people were killed, angry Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel and severed political ties. The Turkish President has since adopted radical policies, openly supporting the terrorist group Hamas, which has announced the annihilation of Israel.

But over the past few months, there has been a shift in Turkey’s anti-Israel stance. Last month, Turkish security forces arrested two Israeli nationals on suspicion of spying. But the two Israelis were released following an order from President Erdogan. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Erdogan to thank him.

In such a situation, the President of Turkey has announced that cooperation will be re-established with Israel. For this, President Erdogan cited the cooperation with the UAE. Turkey and the UAE also had friendly relations. But last year, after the UAE signed the Abraham Accords with Israel, Turkey curtailed its ties with the UAE. But after the UAE’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed visited Turkey last week, cooperation between the two countries was re-established.

The UAE also announced a $10 billion investment in Turkey. This is a big help for Turkey, which has been in a financial crisis for the past few months. It also seems to be a relief for President Erdogan, who has been the target of criticism from the opposition. Against this backdrop, Erdogan has indicated that he is undergoing liberal change by announcing restoring cooperation with Israel.