Turkey-Israel relations: The lost decade

Duvar English 

Former Turkish envoy Namık Tan has penned an analysis on the relations between Israel and Turkey, as he looked at the bilateral issues that strain ties. 

"For a long time, both countries froze political relations but finally, we are seeing positive steps to recover from this lost decade. Actually, there is no serious bilateral problem between the two countries; the main source of tension simply stems from the Palestinian issue and ideological stances," Tan said in his piece on Yetkin Report. 

According to Tan, both countries need to take three immediate steps. 

"First, full diplomatic relations should be resumed. Political leaders should keep in mind that without professional engagement it will prove hard to restore confidence on an institutional level and to mend fences in a way that lasts," he said. 

"Secondly, both sides should free themselves of their ideological reservations and abandon short-term populist temptations. Thirdly, both countries should not allow the relations to be taken hostage by the Palestinian issue," the former envoy noted. 

"Turkey cannot contribute to a future solution to the decades-old problem unless it enjoys relational leverage with Israel. Similarly, Israel needs to distance herself from emotional fears and return to the realization that Turkey is the most meaningful friend it enjoys in the region," Tan said. 

"While it is fair to qualify the last decade of the bilateral as a lost one, I am optimistic about its future."

You can read Tan's piece in full on Yetkin Report from here.