Turkey, Israel, USA: A careful balancing act

[Babur Han]

Turkey, Israel, USA: A careful balancing act

As the United States withdraws its forces from Iraq, it is expecting a re-emerging Turkey to be a force of stability in the region. This U.S. interest in a stable Turkish power fits well with Ankara’s own ambitions to become a major global player. Turkish goals, however, require that it move away from its decades-old relationship with Israel and take a much tougher stance against its traditional ally. And this makes the U.S. challenge in the region even more daunting as it tries to engage in a careful balancing act between the two.

Analysis

Following a meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London on July 8, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu renewed Turkish demands for Israel to either apologize or accept an international investigation over the May 31 Israeli commando raid on a Turkish aid flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip that left nine Turkish nationals dead. Davutoglu said that if Israel failed to take either step, it would cause a severe deterioration of already-strained relations. The statement comes after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman ruled out any chance of an official apology.

The poor state of affairs between Turkey and Israel is complicating the U.S. calculus for the region. As the United States withdraws its forces from Iraq, it is expecting a re-emerging Turkey to be a force of stability in the region, which is facing fragmentation because of the U.S.-jihadist war. And the U.S. interest in a stable Turkish power fits well with Ankara’s own ambitions of becoming a major global player.

Turkey, Israel, USA: A careful balancing act | TRDEFENCE