Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took to the stage at Cairo University to condemn Israel for its attacks on Hamas military leaders, weapons depots, and missile launching pads in the Gaza Strip. “Everyone must know that sooner or later there will be a holding to account for the massacre of these innocent children killed inhumanely in Gaza,” he declared. Let us put aside the massacres of unarmed Kurdish children under Erdoğan’s watch. These have no parallel in the Gaza situation, where Israel puts its own soldiers at risk to avoid This is the same man who has railed against “the Jew;” has worked tirelessly to break Israel’s lawful (according to the United Nations) blockade of Gaza, an action meant to keep weaponry out of the hands of Hamas; and has called Hamas rocket strikes on Israel a hoax. This is also the same man whom President Barack Obama identified as one of the five foreign leaders closest to him personally.
Any Israeli official who thinks that Turkey can be bought around has either replaced analysis with hope, or is delusional. After a decade in power during which he has seized the reins not only of state broadcasters but many private newspapers as well, Erdoğan has succeeded in indoctrinating a generation of Turks in anti-Israel incitement. Erdoğan isn’t going anywhere. But even if he does, the Abdullah Gül’s, Ahmet Davutoğlu’s, and Egemen Bağış’ that mark Turkey’s future are as fiercely anti-Israel.
Maybe it is time that Israel fight diplomatic fire with fire. Israeli officials might argue that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) today is fighting a military insurgency and no longer engages in terrorism. The group is overwhelmingly popular in southeastern Turkey. After all, the Kurdish areas of Turkey are not doing well; life expectancy throughout Turkey is lower than in Gaza. Given Turkey’s support for Hamas, perhaps the Israelis might begin a public debate about recognizing Kurdistan with Diyarbakir as its capital. Perhaps it’s time for Israel to consider providing both civil and military support to Turkey’s Kurds. Turkey and Turks should know what is at stake. At the very least, it’s important to speak not in diplomatic nicety—Erdoğan is incapable of understanding that—but rather in language he understands.
"no more Mr. Nice Guy" is most definitely what's in order, not only for Turkey but for Gaza and Hamas as well. n nCNN anchor Don Lemon tonite was almost in tears talking about a "Palestinian baby" that was killed. I must have missed Lemon's agonizing over the Israeli babies who have been killed, injured, or mentally tortured by constant air raid sirens. in fact, I can't remember any reporting about the Gaza rockets except for on sites like this. n nsuddenly tho, when Israel stands up for itself, everybody's shocked. at least our WH is (strangely enough) standing strong with Israel. let's hope the next step is turning off the money spigot to Hamas enabler Egypt.
When you've read one reworked and Michael Rubin contribution to the "Erdogan-angst literature," you've read them all — except this one is remarkably insipid."That's all right; that's OK: you'll be working for us some day" is embarrassing at elite college football games. And President Obama's Syria and Israel policies must underscore how little his personal friendship is worth. n nTayyip Erdogan does not need my defense, but demonizing him is senseless. The guy is a product of his life experience; that’s the source of a lot of his lurching between disturbing intemperance on Israel but also sometimes surprising magnanimity (Turkey was among the first to condemn the tragedy in Bulgaria). Erdogan versus any other Turkish politician? Where it matters, the man thinks like us! That he's still hanging around after both Israel's and the U.S.'s disastrous diplomacy, suggests at minimum that we can all be useful to each other. n nNothing could be more useful to Erdogan as he struggles to find his footing in a Turkish power structure that does not apparently have a job for him after 2014 would be to be seen to play a positive role in Gaza. He's hardly shy about begging for it. A wholly indoctrinated, Israel-right-or-wrong type such as myself does not believe Israelis take any joy in what is happening in Gaza, but as Israeli advertising points out, “what would you do?” n nAnything else has to involve someone else with the leverage to say "no" and be obeyed. Follow the money and you'll find Turkish foreign policy. Sure, it’s offensive when Erdogan fetes Mashal, but he fetes any tinpot dictator who opens doors for Turkish businessmen. And Turkey’s ties with Israel are actually pretty good. Turkey has and theoretically would continue to invest in Gaza, but every businessperson knows you cannot make money in a war zone. Yet economic development in Gaza is much more likely to stop violence than anything Israel can do militarily. n nDo Erdogan or Turkey have any role to play here in improving Israel's security situation? It's a crapshoot, but there’s no other game in town. n nErdogan responds well to two things: opportunities for Turks to make money and respect/adulation. He responds particularly badly to being demeaned. Israel messed up on the latter, but what's done is done. The opposite is plainly Benjamin Netanyahu's current and correct Turkey policy. Honestly, you start to wonder what drives such articles. n