Photo taken on March 9, 2022 shows Israeli President Isaac Herzog (R) speaks at the Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv, Israel, before departing for Turkish capital Ankara. (Haim Zach/GPO/Handout via Xinhua)
The first official visit of an Israeli leader to Turkey since 2008 may usher in a fresh start between the two countries, which were at loggerheads for more than a decade.
By Keren Setton
JERUSALEM, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Israel's President Isaac Herzog arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Wednesday for the first official visit of an Israeli leader since 2008.
Herzog was greeted by an honor guard at the airport and is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose last trip to Israel was in 2005 after Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Front) speaks to reporters in Istanbul, Turkey, on Feb. 11, 2022. (Xinhua)
Herzog will also travel to Istanbul where he will meet representatives of the Jewish community. According to a statement released by the Israeli president's office prior to his departure, the two leaders will "discuss various bilateral issues ... and the potential for expanding collaboration."
The historic visit comes after more than a decade in which the bilateral relations between the former allies have deteriorated. Both sides recalled their ambassadors in 2018, when tensions over the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem caused a rift between Turkey and Israel.
In recent months Erdogan has called for thawing ties with Israel.
Hence, Herzog is expected to receive a warm welcome and the visit may usher in a fresh start between the two countries.
"There will be a very strong message of a positive agenda," said Nimrod Goren, president and founder of the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. "It's part of a gradual process, and we've seen it taking place since mid-2021. Each time there is another step moving forwards, the goal is closer to restore the relationship."
It is likely that during or immediately after the visit, both countries will reinstate their ambassadors and elevate the status of diplomatic relations.
However, tensions between the two countries have existed for so long that a single meeting between leaders may not be enough to break the ice.
"This of course will be very helpful for enhancing the dialogue between the two nations and I think we are going to improve the relations gradually. But only the decision-makers' involvement is insufficient. In this regard, we need the involvement of civil society," said Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an analyst on Turkish-Israeli relations at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
Over the years, Erdogan has been a vocal critic of Israel, especially of its policies towards the Palestinians. One of the lowest points of the relations was in 2010 when a Turkish-led flotilla aimed at breaking Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip ended up in a clash with Israeli forces and the death of 10 Turkish citizens.
Although a reconciliation and compensation agreement was reached several years later, the relations remained vulnerable. Diplomatic incidents and public spats between leaders were frequent.
The change of government in Israel has promoted the rapprochement between the two countries. A new government in Israel saw the stepping down of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the chemistry between Netanyahu and Erdogan was often explosive, even though both shared pragmatism that facilitated problem-solving when necessary.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks at a press conference in Jerusalem on Dec. 19, 2021. (Marc Israel Sellem/JINI via Xinhua)
After Herzog took office as president and Naftali Bennet was sworn in as Prime Minister, Herzog and Erdogan conducted several phone calls, gradually thawing the relations. This process will culminate in the state visit this week.
Meanwhile, regional developments are forcing the Turkish leader to reconsider his position.
"It's part of realigning Turkish foreign policy, trying to rebuild relationships with a specific interest in Israel, partly because of other allies Israel has in the Mediterranean - Greece, Cyprus, Egypt - with which turkey is at odds," Goren told Xinhua.
"What we are witnessing today is a small part of a larger picture," said Cohen Yanarocak.
The Israeli plan for natural gas transportation between Israel, Cyprus, and Greece aroused the interest of Turkey. Known as the "EastMed" project, it is an ambitious attempt to export Israeli natural gas to other countries, including Egypt and Italy. Turkey could benefit from taking part in and has voiced its interest recently.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (L), Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (C) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands before the signing of an agreement for the construction of the Eastern Mediterranean (EastMed) natural gas pipeline, in Athens, Greece, on Jan. 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
For its part, Israel has guaranteed Cyprus and Greece that improving relations with Turkey will not come at the expense of their close trilateral alliance.
A week before his visit to Turkey, Herzog visited Greece and Cyprus calling Israel's relations with the two "strategic."
Despite the winds of change between Ankara and Jerusalem, Israeli relations with Turkey will likely remain fragile. They are prone to any tensions, especially if Israeli-Palestinian relations deteriorate again, as they often do.
However, there is still room for optimism.
"I cannot imagine something worse than this time since we already know how to cope with this kind of crisis today ... it will be easier for us to overcome the obstacles in the future," Cohen Yanarocak said.
The near future will prove where the relationship is heading, but good intentions and mutual interests appear to help both sides get closer.■
