Turkey & Israel: on-going bilateral tensions and their impact on the Middle East

For more than one year, the relationship between Turkey and Israel has been characterised by increasing tensions and diplomatic turbulences. Maintaining good diplomatic relations with Israel was one of the main reasons why Turkey, a country with a majority Muslim population, was seen to have a mediating role between Western allies and the Middle East as well as in the Arab-Israeli conflict. For the EU Turkey’s geostrategic importance in the region is also one of the main arguments in favour of its accession: with Turkey as a member, the EU hopes to increase its weight in the Middle East. Has Turkey’s ability to function as mediator reached its end after one year of tensions with Israel? What will be the impact for negotiations in the Middle East? Are Turkey’s role as a bridge to the Middle East and its EU accession at risk due to the cooled-down relationship with Israel? Are the EU’s ambitions to play a larger role in the Middle East realistic without Turkey’s involvement?

Moderator:
Dr Ulrike Dufner, Director Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V., Turkey Representation, Istanbul