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What does the Turkish Jew on the street want?
If I ask a Turkish Jew on the street to “list the three most important things in their life that they never want to lose”, what answer would I get?İvo MOLİNAS
By İvo MOLİNAS
I’ll repeat my past question: If you ask a Turkish Jew on the street to list the three things in their life that they never want to lose, they will firstly say their health and the health of their family, then their money and finally the good state of Turkish-Israeli relations.
However, Turkish Jews have been sad for almost seven years. Turkish Jews have been suffering from the unprecedented decline in relations between these two countries that have generally been good since the establishment of Israel.
Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize Israel, having officially recognized it a few months after establishment in 1948. Other than the 1956 Suez Canal crisis, the 1967 Six Day War and Israel’s complete annexation of Jerusalem in 1980, the two countries have always maintained good relations.
During the early years of the AK Party governments, these bi-lateral relations continued having days of glory and these relations reached a peak with the historic 2007 speech of then Israeli President Shimon Peres before the Turkish Parliament.
In other words, until 2008 everything was proceeding as hoped for by the Turkish Jew on the street.
During this period, when Israel initiated the Gaza War at the time when then Prime Minister Erdoğan was acting as mediator between Syria and Israel, Turkish-Israeli relations would begin to decline. Following the subsequent “one minute” matter and the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010, the historic development of the relations were to be set a completely different course. Allowing the Mavi Marmara ship to travel to the area despite knowing Israel’s probable reaction and the following unbelievable mistakes of the Israeli army would lead to the great tragedy of the death of nine Turkish citizens.
As it can still be remembered, the Turkish Jews were reduced to the position of being almost unable to leave their homes and suffer insults and threats as if they were the ones responsible for these situations.
The relations between the two countries would not improve even after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Mavi Marmara apologies in 2013. Indeed, due to the civilian and infant casualties of the renewed Gaza war and the way these were reflected in Turkey, the anti-Israel sentiment would reach a new historic peak.
The only positive sign in the relations were that, despite all of these striking negative developments, trade levels were increasing. On the other hand, due to a sense of fear, Israeli tourists were unable to visit ‘beautiful Antalya’, a place where they all loved and constantly mentioned.
However, life somehow evolves in accordance to its own uncertain laws and in the final days of 2015 a miracle would occur and Turkish and Israeli officials would meet in Switzerland in order to start the talks that would repair the seven years of damage. In fact, within several days, it would be commonly known that important progress was made.
The Turkish Jew on the street would feel revitalized and being viewing their future with hope and happiness.
And now they are impatiently waiting for the friendship to resume between their country and the country that they feel ties of affection towards.
However, things are not so simple. The condition of the apology has been satisfied, the matter of compensation will also be resolved in some way; however, it is not yet known how the Gaza embargo will be resolved in a way to satisfy the respective public of each country. Turkey already well knows that it is not possible to completely remove the embargo as Turkey wants. In fact, in most recent statements now, the phrase “lightening of the embargo” is used. Talks for the conditions of such a move are continuing and will continue still.
A second point is how the general public in Turkey that is increasingly holding anti-Semitic views due to the combination of the sizeable anti-Israeli sentiment will acquiesce to such an agreement. Another area of uncertainty is the reaction of the Israeli right that is currently in power and does not want to compromise about the topic of Gaza and is even against the lightening of the Israeli embargo.
While governments and government bureaucrats can understand that Turkey needs such a move of friendship to counter the Russia-Syria-Iran triangle formed after the Russia crisis and that Israel needs Turkey to exploit their own gas reserves; how can their respective publics understand this approach?
It is particularly unknown how and under what conditions the anti-Israeli/Jewish sentiment that is particularly prevalent in the Turkish public and some Turkish media will be resolved. We will all see whether ideology or pragmatism in service of the benefit of the countries will triumph.
Meanwhile, with feelings of great hope, the Turkish Jew on the street will await friendship.
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