“Erdoğan’s Middle East Policy Needs to Change”

Assistant Professor Koray Çalışkan of Bosphorus University, Istanbul, has evaluated Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdgoğan’s speech in Belgium, in which he praised his country’s Middle East policy: 

“As far as the Israel-Palestine conflict is concerned, Erdoğan’s and Turkey’s policy is not mature enough even to convince our freshman students.”

A system close to Apartheid

Çalışkan criticised Turkey’s foreign policy which allowed for indirect aid to Isrel by training Israeli pilots. He accused Turkey of financially supporting “a system which is nearly like Apartheid”, saying this would not solve the Palestinian issue but rather confuse it more.

Before Erdoğan flew to Brussels on Sunday (18 January), he held a press briefing at Ankara airport, in which he praised his government’s Middle East policy. He expressed support for Hamas and criticised Israel, saying that Turkey would be involved in bringing peace to the region.

Simon Tisdall from the Guardian has written about “the successful expansion of Turkish influence in the Middle East and beyond under Erdoğan’s moderate Islamist government.”

Turkey should not cut ties with Israel

Çalışkan evaluates recent calls by the Turkish left and right to cut relations with Israel as wrong. “In diplomacy, relations are only terminated if there is nothing left to do.” He called for a solution based not occasional displays of solidarity as Muslims but with military, political and financial support.

“Serious steps must be taken for Palestine. Instead of a self-serving attitude we need mroe ethical and humane policies. That would mean coming up against the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” (BÇ/AG)