Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Israel, Turkey hail new era after years of broken ties

Israel, Turkey hail new era after years of broken ties

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
Israeli President Isaac Herzog (left) and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during a press conference in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday. AFP

Israel, Turkey hail new era after years of broken ties

Israeli and Turkey proclaimed a new era in relations on Wednesday following more than a decade of diplomatic rupture, as Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a landmark visit to Ankara.

Herzog’s Turkey trip, which included talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was the first by an Israeli president since 2007, when the late Shimon Peres addressed the Turkish parliament.

Ties then plummeted, but Erdogan, standing alongside the Israeli president, proclaimed that Herzog’s “historic visit will be a turning point in our relations.”

“Our mutual goal is to revive dialogue based on respect,” added Erdogan, who is a vocal champion of the Palestinian cause.

Herzog, who holds a traditionally ceremonial position but has taken on an outsized diplomatic role since his July inauguration, conceded that Israel-Turkey ties “underwent a drought.”

“The baggage of the past never disappears of its own accord, but we . . . are choosing to embark on a journey of trust and respect,” he said.

“We must agree in advance that we will not agree on everything.”

Relations began to fray following an Israeli military operation in Gaza in 2008.

Ties then froze following the death of 10 civilians following an Israeli raid on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship, part of a flotilla trying to breach a blockade by carrying aid into Gaza in 2010.

A 2016 reconciliation agreement that saw the return of ambassadors all but collapsed in 2018 in the wake of Gaza border clashes that killed dozens of Palestinians.

Herzog was received in a snowy Ankara with a military honour guard at the Mustafa Kemal Ataturk mausoleum, where he wrote an inscription praising Turkey’s first president for choosing “the path of collaboration.”

The presidents then held bilateral talks and were then due to partake in a state dinner.

Erdogan said he raised “the Palestine issue,” and Turkey’s interest in seeing “improvement in the social and political status of Palestinians.”

Turkey has maintained ties with Hamas Islamists who have controlled Gaza since 2007, and are considered a terrorist organisation by Israel and much of the West.

Hamas condemned Turkey for welcoming “the Zionist occupation president.”

Sources involved in the bilateral talks, who requested anonymity, said the presidents raised the presence of Hamas leaders in Turkey, a longstanding Israeli grievance.

Following the 2018 Gaza bloodshed, Turkey recalled its diplomats and ordered Israel’s envoy out of the country.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters Wednesday he would visit Israel next month and would discuss reappointing ambassadors with his counterpart Yair Lapid.

The rapprochement began following Herzog’s inauguration, with a congratulatory call from Erdogan to the new Israeli president, who is a veteran of the left-wing Labour party.

Israeli leaders were wary of Turkey’s outreach.

But Erdogan’s move to secure the release of an Israeli couple arrested in Istanbul in November on espionage charges proved a “turning point”, said Gallia Lindenstrauss of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies.

Following the 2010 crisis, Israel created a strategic alliance with Greece and Cyprus – two states with long-standing acrimony towards Erdogan’s Turkey – holding regular meetings and joint military drills.

The trio were part of the “East Mediterranean Gas Forum” established in 2019 with other states, including Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian territories – without Turkey.

For Turkey, that frustration over its exclusion from the gas talks – as well as an internal economic crisis, and a more confrontational US administration since President Joe Biden’s election – has pushed Ankara closer to Israel, Lindenstrauss said.

Erdogan voiced readiness “to cooperate (with Israel) in energy projects,” with the prospect of exporting Israeli gas to Europe through Turkey having taken on renewed urgency amid fears of impaired supply following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Regional ties remain sensitive, and Herzog visited both Greece and Cyprus ahead of his Turkey trip to reassure the two Israeli allies.

Before departing Israel, Herzog stressed regional “stability” was crucial when “the international order is being shaken,” a message he said he delivered in Greece and Cyprus.

Erdogan described relations with Israel as “important for regional peace.”

Herzog is scheduled to meet members of the Jewish community in Istanbul on Thursday, before returning to Israel.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Newest horror film showcases unique Khmer culture, identity

    At first glance, the trailer to new horror sensation The Ritual: Black Nun looks like a western-produced feature film. As the story reveals itself to the viewers, it becomes clearer that this is a Khmer film, with a strong Cambodian identity and close links to

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the