A new era in Turkish-Israeli relations is in the making, writes Bulent Aras* The "serious crisis" between Turkey and Israel has been discussed many times in these pages. There is obviously no single explanation for the problematic relations between the two countries. However, a brief analysis of better relations in the past may help us to understand the current situation. The Turkish government has been openly critical of a number of Israeli policies ranging from harsh security measures against the Palestinians to alleged Israeli fifth column activities in northern Iraq. These criticisms can be traced back to Turkey's expectations of Israel in the mid-1990s. One major expectation was that Israel ought to support Turkey as its national security establishment fought against the negative political manifestations of Islam in domestic politics. The deadlock in domestic politics also justified the alliance in regional policy, holding Iran responsible for its Islamic question and Syria for the Kurdish question. Ankara's adoption of the Copenhagen criteria, its reforms in political and legal realms, and the economic reforms supervised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put an end to the final vestiges of the Cold War at home. The national security state and political Islam, both Cold War ideologies, became a part of Turkey's history. The change in Turkey's domestic politics led to a new orientation in its foreign policy. Turkey succeeded in minimising its problems with the countries around its borders through its good neighbour policy. For example, Turkish foreign policy-makers convene gatherings of representatives from the countries bordering Iraq on a periodic basis, an effort that has been taken seriously by the United Nations. Turkish leaders are a voice for reform in the Arab world, advising these countries and their leaders not to use the Palestinian question to delay reform. Turkish foreign policy pays more serious attention to societal demands than ever before. The March 2003 motion, that denied United States troops the use of Turkish territory in the war against Iraq, was a historical turning point for Turkey. Ankara made clear that it values and will follow the principle of democratic legitimacy in its regional and international policies. Turkey's decision delayed the Iraqi invasion, forced the US to search for greater legitimacy, and drew more attention to the Palestinian question. As Turkey was making strides towards greater security and democracy, Israel could not keep up in terms of promoting security and democracy at home, increasing the distance between the two nations. Given the negative implications of Israel's policies towards Palestine for the entire Middle East, Ankara urged immediate Israeli action on the Palestinian question. This emphasis on legitimacy in foreign policy eventually put Turkey at odds with Israel. Although there is no strong anti-Israeli sentiment among the Turkish people, they tend towards an image of Palestinians suffering under Israeli oppression, and they sympathise. The Turkish government views its policy towards Israel as constructive: expressing objections on a number of issues, but not suspending relations. The Turkish prime minister's critical stance, calling Israeli acts in Rafah state terrorism, had popular support at home that went far beyond the prime minister's party base. Turkey's close relations with the Arabs and its adoption of European Union policy on this matter is another development that must be considered. However, these are not at the root of Turkish policy towards Israel but are the result of Turkey's new foreign policy orientation. Thus, the problems between Turkey and Israel are structural and cannot be solved through artificial measures. It is true that the Israeli guarantee of its commitment to Iraqi territorial unity is important. However, Israel should also open communication channels with Turkey's new ruling elite. Even so, these measures do not demonstrate comprehension of the big picture and are inadequate to truly repair relations between the two countries. A better indicator of efforts to ease tensions between the two countries would require more meaningful steps such as paying attention to the international community's expectations and following a more constructive and responsible path to peace with the Palestinians and in the Middle East. Otherwise, Cold War style regional alignments and assurances are not likely to make any difference. No state in today's world can achieve the desired level of security at home while turning its back on the legitimate concerns of the international community. Ankara expects Israel to reach a political maturity and achieve democracy, security, and peace through acceptable means, which must include improving relationships with all its neighbours. A more responsible policy line will help the Israeli administration to solve its problems vis-�-vis the increasing number of regional and international actors. Turkey is still a trustworthy ally and friend to Israel. Once Israel begins to move towards a more mature set of policies, Turkey's willingness to support legitimate Israeli concerns will be apparent. * The writer is a visiting fellow at the European Union Institute for Security Studies, Paris and associate professor of international relations at Fatih University, Istanbul.
