Israel Matzav

Erdogan and Davutoglu expressed 'deep regret' that Turkey recognized Israel in 1948 (and more)

During the recent election campaign, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu expressed 'deep regret' that Turkey recognized the State of Israel in 1948 (Hat Tip: Joshua I). Columnist Burak Bakdil writes that while that rhetoric was over the top, and did not take Turkey's interests into account, he believes it unlikely that either Erdogan or Davutoglu didn't really mean it. (Please note that there is more to this post than Bakdil's column, so if you have seen the column already, please scroll down).

There are other signs that Mssrs. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ahmet Davutoğlu may be slowly retreating from their pre-election rhetoric which even included a deep regret that Turkey recognized Israel in 1948. That, however, will be a tactical retreat based on fears of crossing an invisible red line. Neither Mr. Erdoğan nor Mr. Davutoğlu will delete their ideological genes overnight, nor their dedication to the dream of praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque in the “Palestinian capital Jerusalem.”

All the same, they must be encouraged to understand that international politics is not about sentiments or dreams, but largely about interests. They must be encouraged to calculate, for instance, how much the average Palestinian in Gaza may have benefited from the 59 percent decline in Israeli tourist arrivals in Turkey in the first five months of 2011.

The longer-term risk to peaceful relations between Turkey and Israel is not about whether the Mavi Marmara sets sail for Gaza or remains anchored in Turkish waters. The risk is not about whether Israel should apologize or instead reiterate regret for last year’s deadly attack on the Mavi Marmara. It is not about low chairs or reparations for the Turkish victims either. The risk is about the systematic injection of Islamist sentiments about Israel into the minds of younger, ordinary Turks, especially in the past two and a half years.

Read the whole thing.

But there's more. The impression this article gives is that most of the anti-Semitism in Turkey is a phenomenon of the last two and a half years - starting with Erdogan's storming off the stage in Davos in front of Shimon Peres and Ban Ki-Moon. That is not the case. Erdogan has a lengthy history of anti-Semitism going back to his childhood. In this video from Israel's Channel 10 - which is partly in Hebrew and partly in English with Hebrew subtitles - you will see an interview with an elementary school classmate of Erdogan's who now lives in Israel, and an interview with one of Turkey's most prominent columnists, who says that there is no free press in Turkey. The video was made BEFORE the Mavi Marmara incident.

Let's go to the videotape.



Here's the flip side. This is video of a demonstration held outside the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv three days after the Mavi Marmara incident. The narrative is in Hebrew (and much of it is interviewing Baruch Marzel - that's the guy with the black beard). But even if you don't speak Hebrew, look at the signs, which are mostly in English. And feel the anger in the eyes and voices of these ordinary Israelis.

Let's go to the videotape.



Anyone think the government will get a whole lot of support if it apologizes? Anyone think it will change any attitudes in Turkey?

I didn't think so. The very idea of apologizing to those Nazis is repellant.

Labels: Ahmet Davutoglu, Mavi Marmara, Nazis, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish obsession with Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:31 PM