Page 8 - MEOG Week 34 2022

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Turkey and Israel agree to

restore full diplomatic relations

ISRAEL/TURKEY TURKEY and Israel announced on August 17 Commenting on the restoration of full dip-
that they have agreed to restore full diplomatic lomatic relations, Israeli Prime Minister Yair
relations and return ambassadors to each other’s Lapid, following a conversation between Lapid
countries. and Erdogan, said in a statement: “Upgrad-
The two countries expelled each other’s ing relations will contribute to deepening ties
envoys in 2018 following the killing of 60 Pal- between the two peoples, expanding economic,
estinians by Israeli forces during Gaza border trade, and cultural ties, and strengthening
protests against the opening of the US Embassy regional stability.”
in Jerusalem. “[The] appointment of ambassadors was
There has been more than a decade of fraught one of the steps for the normalisation of ties,”
relations in all, with Turkish President Recep commented Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut
Tayyip Erdogan of two decades frequently Cavusoglu at a news conference in Ankara, as
involved in bitter spats with former Israel prime reported by AlJazeera. “Such a positive step came
minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in office from Israel as a result of these efforts, and as Tur-
as PM from 1996 to 1999 and then from 2009 key, we also decided to appoint an ambassador to
to 2021. Israel, to Tel Aviv.”
Despite the restored ties, Turkey’s hopes that Cavusoglu reportedly added that the move
Israel could be persuaded to commit to a major did not mean Turkey would abandon the Pales-
pipeline project that would pipe Israeli gas to tinian cause.
Europe via Turkey appear forlorn. Analysts say Two years ago, under the so-called Abraham
that while Turkey’s Erdogan administration has Accords, relations were normalised between
applied itself to building friendly and construc- Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and
tive relations with Israel after years of disputes, Morocco.
the Israelis would not risk entering into such an Turkey has lately mended relations with the
extensive and costly investment with a partner UAE and Saudi Arabia, but efforts at restoring
that might prove unreliable and volatile in terms ties with Egypt are progressing slowly and may
of future relations. founder.
There are also doubts over whether such a Analysts say Erdogan, facing a huge eco-
costly project would bring a satisfactory invest- nomic crisis in Turkey and elections within a
ment return. Israel, meanwhile, has plans to pipe year, needs to build up as much foreign trade and
gas to Egypt where it can be liquefied for onward investment as possible with countries across the
export to the EU. Middle East.™

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