Turkey-Israel: Gaza should not become Srebrenica
Turkey-Israel relations began to regress after the event, where President Erdoğan said “One Minute” to Shimon Peres in Davos Economic Forum in January 2009 and worsened with Kurtlar Vadisi movie, Blue Marmara and Low Seat Crisis. Lastly, with the Palmer report, which had been prepared by the panel in United Nations concerning Blue Marmara incident, the relations stroke the bottom. When we generally analyze the picture, the relations between Turkey and Israel have not fallen off the agenda and we are talking Turkey-Israel relations all the time. The historical perspective of the relations have been analyzed, the point that we have reached can be described as “the worst” level.
In the geography, named as Middle East, there is no Israel government about 70 years ago. Israel declared its presence in 1948 as the product of an USA-England-based imposition. Turkey has showed its regional partnership with Israel with its West block decision because of Soviet thread at that time. In this regional partnership, the West block preference and the effects of current USA-Israel relations is noteworthy. Especially the effect of Jewish lobby, which is strong in USA, on Israel-USA relations, has also become a determinant factor on USA-Turkey relations. Accordingly, the relations between Turkey and Israel Government, which has been established because of the global conditions formed after Second World War, are based on 70-year history. However, it is important to touch on Turkey-Arabic relations and Palestine problem and to go beyond these relations. Without seeing the relations between Ottoman Empire, the successor of Turkey, and Arabic communities and the importance given to Mecca-Medina line including Jerusalem, it is not possible to understand why Israel is occupying the agenda of Turkey so much. In order to see how much value the rulers of Ottoman Empire gave to Arabic and Arabic Geography, it is necessary to know that they gave priority to access to such important cities as Aleppo, Damascus, Baghdad, Medina; and they blew money on railway projects extending to these cities although there were many transportation problems in Anatolia. The empire did not distinguish these cities from such cities as Istanbul, Bursa, Edirne. As for Palestine problem, Sultan Abdulhamit did not consider the attractive offer of Zionist leader Thedor Hertlz about the debts of Ottoman Empire which will wipe out public debts. And even he made counter offer and stated that it will open another neighborhood in the country for Jewish people, but Zionists did not accept this offer. In some sources, Sultan Abdulhamit made the rails pad on 5-6 km part, where the rails reach Medina, in order not to disturb the soul of Hz. Muhammad. Today, it is possible to see the Turkish traces in the important cities in Arabic World and even the capitals, Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo. Besides, in such cities as Istanbul, Konya, Bursa, Arabic letters can be seen on architecture and calligraphy. The meeting of Ottoman-Turkish convention and Arabic culture forms a living place with its history of over thousands years. When we look at the history of Jerusalem, the sacred city of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, we can see that there are some disputes about the ethnic origin and Selahaddin Eyyubi took Jerusalem from Crusaders in 2 October 1187. Having mentioned Crusaders, I want to say that Western Arabic and Christian communities and Jewishes ally with Muslims against Crusaders.
Ottoman-Turkish and Arabic relations were taking another shape when Jerusalem was taken from Ottomans by General Edmund Allenby and Ottoman Empire was destroyed and Turkish Republic was found instead. Most part of the Arabia has become exploitee and Turks was hoping to gain independency and development and bringing the concept of “republic” to the Islamic world with the new government. During the struggle for salvation, no matter how much interaction happened among Arabic and Turks, the resolutions came true as a result of the concept of “other” which had entered to political and cultural geography of Ottomans and then to Middle East because of French Revolution.
The fact that Turkey was focusing on its own problems and structuring itself with a new western approach has accelerated this resolution and would make Turkey seen as “ally of imperialist” by Arabia later on. Especially, with the special conditions that Cold War period had created after Second World War, as a result of the emergence of Israel and Turkey’s block preference, Turkish-Arabic relations has been worsening gradually. Turkey has developed a strategic collaboration with Israel although its foreign policy which had been fluctuating and developed an attitude towards Israel after Arabic-Israel war. However, when Cold War ended, some political polarization (west-east) and collaborations gave their places to cultural characterizations and religious-civilization based polarizations. Therefore, we see here some disputes related to cultural convergence and civilization within a historical perspective and some developments, named as “Arab Spring”, are the results of this process. Within the frame of the developments in Libya, Gueant likened France State President Sarkozy to the leader of Crusade and this can be seen as the best example. We can evaluate the changes in Egypt and Tunis, and the fact that such religious based actors İhvani Müslim and En Nahda came up, in this respect. Similarly, we can evaluate Hamas in the same axis who had acceded with the democratic elections.
Turkey is seen as “role model” in the reconstructed Middle East geography after Cold War and there was a tense process in Israel-Turkey relations and these can be seen as the results of, historical examples and relations and today’s developments. Turkey, for ten years, has experienced economical and democratic developments with Ak Party which has Islamic references.
In this sense, it is not possible in terms of global developments and internal dynamics for Turkey to maintain its Middle East policy. Turkey will become leader of Middle East if Israel give up having its own way. In terms of internal dynamics, social demands increase in creating and implementing foreign policy and Turkey cannot be insensible to Palestine problem and Gaza blockade.
When we look at the problem in detail, we can see that in Turkey not only the Islamic communities but also the socialists and liberals came out against Israel. Laic-elitist groups say that “what will we do in Gaza?” and “It will not be good for us to end our relationship with Israel”, and this shows that they could not figure out the paradigm that came after Cold War and the current position of Turkey.
In the last Palmer report event, it can be seen that this reflex are present. When we look at the Palmer report in detail, we can see that the statements in the report are incoherent. In the report, it is said that Israel soldiers started to open fire before going into the Mavi Marmara ship and the fact that two passengers have been killed by the fires coming from the sky has been accepted with the photos (part 123). On the other hand, in 133. Part it is said that Israel soldiers started to open fire in the ship after came across resistance.
It is important to emphasize that Palmer report is a text prepared by a panel appointed by United Nations Secretary General and it is not binding. When we compare the Mavi Marmara Report of UN Human Rights Council with this report, it is possible to see the conflict. UN Human Rights Council’s report, which has been prepared by the ex-judge of International Criminal Court, UN war crimes prosecutor and human rights expert, accuse Israel of “offending against international law and human rights law”.
On the other hand, Palmer report does not include any such accusation. Again this report shows Israel’s Gaza blockade as legal and Gaza blockade has been declared as illegal by United Nations General Assembly before. However, we should not forget that UNGA’s decisions are not binding.
Turkey developed an action plan as a reflex to Palmer Report which had been leaked to the press. According to this, military agreements between Turkey and Israel will be suspended, it is declared that all kinds of precautions will be taken for freedom of navigation in Eastern Mediterranean, that Turkey does not recognize Gaza blockade and said that it will help all people Turks or foreign people demand their justice. Foreign affairs minister Davutoğlu said that Turkey ignores the Palmer Report while explaining the action plan.
Turkey’s this attitude has meanings beyond the rejecting submission to Israel. Firstly, Turkey emphasized the necessity that everyone should be equal before the “international law ‘according to which it had grounded its foreign policy through United Nations. This means that, Turkey is rejecting the global system where everyone is equal but some people are more equal and is staying in this system and giving rational reactions. Therefore, it shows that United Nations is a mechanism which is dysfunctional and incoherent within itself.
On the other hand, Turkey criticizes the concept of human rights, which has been developed by western countries, within the frame of “moral values” and emphasizes that this concept should not stay in words and put into practice. Most importantly, during this process, Turkey is evaluating Israel government and people separately. Therefore, it has its back to the wall against the “anti-Semitism” critics and its policies and historical perspective shows how much coherent Turkey is in this respect.
As it can be remembered, Jewish and Islamic people have been expelled from Andalusia Spain together and Ottoman Empire accepted Jewish people and created a living space for them. Additional article of law of foundations could be seen as another example.
As a result, Turkey-Israel relations are experiencing the worst state ever. In this process, the responsibility of Israel, which is not able to follow the changes and developments in the world paradigm, is greater than the fact that Turkey is under the power of a party whose Islamic references are powerful. Turkey’s actions in the direction of its current potential and foreign policy targets are both rational and meet the expectations of Turkish people. After the Cold War, Turkey was partly a mere spectator to the massacre in Srebrenica and Sarajevo because of the conditions at that time. However, it cannot keep silent to the massacre in Gaza and the invasion of Jerusalem.
In the light of historical facts, it can be seen that Turkey and Ottoman Empire have not had problems with the Jewish people. On the contrary, the history shows us the common civilization efforts of “Jewish-Christian and Islamic” people which has lasted over 500 years. Unfortunately, this effort was ended by Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella with the conquest of Southern Europe. As I stated before, Muslims struggled against “Crusades” together with Eastern Christians and Jewish people.
When the history is presenting us living together examples and Middle East geography is reshaping, it will be only possible for Jewish people to live together with Muslim Arabic in peace with the equality before the law. Although Turkey’s demands seem to be limited with the results of Mavi Marmara attack, Foreign affairs ministry Ahmet Davutoğlu emphasized that it is necessary to go bask to 1967’s boundaries and to establish a Palestine government whose capital city will be Jerusalem attributing to the decisions of United Nations. If Jerusalem is the field of 3 divine religion, this symbol is the establishment of a permanent peace and an important milestone of Middle East Peace Process.
Burak YALIM
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