Israel And Turkey

Now the US has to act as a juggler, maneuvering between the contradictory interests of its two allies in the war against ISIS, the Kurds and Turkey.

The announcement of Turkey’s new ambassador to Israel is expected at around the same time. The two nations have not had ambassadors in each other’s countries since 2010.

Perhaps most important of all, Israel does not want to be a part of a Russian effort to establish a new alliance in the Middle East that looks to push out the United States.

Ankara has in effect threatened Washington, hitherto a close ally, that there’s no going back on its demand to hand over self-exiled Muslim cleric.

“Israel has met our terms, paving the way to normalize ties,” he said. “Therefore, we must do this as soon as possible.”

The Kurds of Turkey affiliated with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) dared him to prove how “real” he was when they declared themselves autonomous in a dozen or so towns and cities.

Despite reconciliations and promises to try to facilitate talks with Hamas on three missing Israelis and the remains of two dead soldiers, a prisoner swap isn’t likely any time soon.

The NSC interim head said the ministers receive daily intelligence reports, and that the Turkey deal is an example of orderly work with advance preparation.

Reconciliation with Turkey contains positive elements and advantages for Israel, but the era of close, even intimate, military and intelligence cooperation between the countries is over.

The rapprochement with Israel is part of a broader retreat from the neo-Ottomanism that until recently guided Turkish foreign policy.