Thursday, July 1, 2010

Where Israel Stands with Turkey


After the flotilla incident, Turkey has definitively begun facing eastward. We see in previous years that Turkey wanted to join the EU and become part of the Western culture of politics. After it was grouped out and denied membership, and specifically after the Gaza raid, Turkey started talking more to the Middle East and establishing its power there. Eight Turks were killed in the Gaza incident and without claiming state sponsorship of the flotilla, Turkey is responding severely and deliberately.

Turkey shut down its airspace to Israeli military flights and has condemned Israeli brutality and the blockade. As a secular, representative democracy with a 99% Muslim population, Turkey is placed in a very interesting position geopolitically.

 Apparently the two met yesterday for secret talks, pressured by Obama. I'm interested to see which side Turkey lands up on.

(The map shows Israel's attack paths to Iran and what countries it has to go through)

No comments: