More Turkey
February 5, 2009, 10:13 am
Posted by Margaret O'Brien Steinfels
The New York Times reports on the recent Turkey-Israel rift. Worth a read.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/world/europe/05turkey.html?_r=1&ref=world
Thank you Peggy for keeping us aware of the changing dynamics in Turkey. After all, Constantinople can never shy away from influence and the Turks have a ready following if they want to exert leadership. Israel surely realizes how much they need Turkey. Who else has that much credibility in the Arab world? New players are surely needed.
Turkey, which has long supported Israel, will probably continue to do so. But the experience of PM Erdogan and his democratic Islamist party brings a new perspective to the alliance as the Time’s story reports.
This should be welcomed by Israel and note taken by the U.S. Strong allies are necessary and important. But is this a case of “With friends like these (the U.S. and Turkey) who needs enemies”? That is, with uncritical friends how can there be a realistic assessment of the steps needed for achieving a two-state solution (if that is still a possibility).