Changing strategic dynamics in the Middle East may lead to a surprising reconciliation between two countries, Israel and Turkey, which were driven to the brink of hot conflict five years ago after Israeli troops raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters. A preliminary agreement to normalize bilateral relations was reportedly reached on Dec. 17 by top-level officials at a meeting in Switzerland, while the details of the final agreement are still being worked out, according to Israeli and Turkish media reports. The agreement coincides with a politically hard atmosphere in the region with the fight against the Daesh (the so-called IS) radically transforming the regional calculations of both countries that share borders with Syria. On Dec. 14, Israeli Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold told exporters that "Israel has always strived for stable relations with Turkey and is constantly examining ways to achieve that goal." "This normalization process would be good for us, Israel, Palestine and the entire region. The region definitely needs this. We need to consider the interests of the people of the region and introduce peace," he also said. This optimistic tone has been echoed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who stated on the same day that an agreement could be good for the region, followed by Omer Celik, the spokesperson of the government, who said in a press meeting on Dec. 20: "Israel is a friend of Turkey". The Mavi Marmara flotilla incident in May 2010, where nine Turks were killed by Israeli commandos, exacerbated the already-tense relations between Turkey and Israel, with Ankara expelling the Israeli ambassador and recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv. According to the reconciliation pact, Israel is expected to establish a special fund for the compensation for the families of the victims, and Ankara would then retract all its legal claims against Israeli officials over this attack. Regional environment Nimrod Goren, founder and chairman of Mitvim (The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies) agrees that an agreement between Israel and Turkey, if reached, will create a more favorable regional environment for both countries. "It will enable Israel and Turkey to renew their official strategic dialogue and coordination, to seek joint interests in the changing region, and to deal with their differences in a more effective diplomatic manner," Goren told Al Arabiya News. As another precondition for the thaw between the two countries, Turkey demands from Israel to lift Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip, but this matter is still considered by Israel as a national security requirement. According to Goren, while Israel is not willing to lift its embargo over Gaza, it does seem to be willing to grant Turkey a special role regarding Gaza and its reconstruction. Ilker Ayturk, an expert on Israeli-Turkey relations from Bilkent University in Ankara, said a rapprochement between Israel and Turkey would no doubt be a game-changer in the Middle East of great magnitude, with repercussions reaching as far as Russia and the Balkans. However, Ayturk is skeptical about whether the current negotiations will actually lead to a final agreement of normalization for the bilateral relations, due to some structural problems. He said: "This so-called rapprochement is not part of a well-thought, long-term Turkish foreign policy strategy, but, an ad hoc, last minute response to an emergency situation." — Al Arabiya News
